The Strength To Go On
by Mystletainn
Summary: Jirachi has gone to sleep again for another 1000 years, leaving Mew very depressed. Celebi tries cheering him up, but what may unfold could be beyond the expectations of everybody. Rated M for graphic violence.
1. A Choice

Hello everyone, this is my first fanfiction I'm writing. I hope you guys enjoy! I'm not sure how long you all prefer these things, but I think it's not too short. Also, I have Chapter 2 close to being finished.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Choice**

* * *

Mew shook his head, frantically muttering to himself. "No, no, no, not again, no, please…"

He weaved chaotically through the air, trying to get something out of his mind that he never could. Finally, he just stopped, sitting down on the ground and staring at the sky.

"Oh Arceus, why do you always have to leave? Come back, Jirachi…" Mew sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye.

* * *

_The previous day…_

"I'm sorry Mew, it's just the way it is. We can play again soon." Jirachi said reassuringly, patting Mew on the back. He yawned. Today was his last day of being awake, before he was taken by slumber for another 1000 years.

Mew looked at him like he was crazy. "1000 years! You're awake for one week! That's one out of every 52,000 weeks, and you call that _soon_?!"

Jirachi smiled half-heartedly while shaking his head. "I know, I know… I just wish that I didn't half to go to sleep again."

Mew shook his head, still anxious over losing his friend soon. "Yes, yes, I know, you told me that there are some wishes that can't be granted. BUT WHYYYYY?" He was still in denial.

Jirachi started reaching over to Mew, but was stopped by a huge yawn. This only made Mew start crying again. When he did reach over, he put his hand on Mew's shoulder. "You're my best friend. Each week I'm awake is the best week I have. But this one is…" He was interrupted by another yawn. "…ending. I'm sorry…" Jirachi looked down, aware of a familiar feeling.

A new surge of tears overwhelmed Mew. Jirachi's third eye on his stomach was opening, and his other eyes were drooping. It was almost time.

"I'm glad I got to spend another week with you doing all sorts of fun stuff… I don't regret a single minute. If only there was more time in a week…" Jirachi said, trying to console his friend. He yawned again. "But this one is up, Mew. You need to face it."

Mew nodded, his head buried in his hands. "I don't want you to go," he mumbled. "It's going to be so HARD without my best friend around…"

Jirachi smiled, eyes now completely shut. "Thanks, Mew." His inner eye opened all the way, a beam of light firing from it. A small purple and white chrysalis appeared from thin air around Jirachi, not quite solid. As it solidified, it began to close up, starting near the bottom of his body. "Just hang in there, buddy. I'll be… back…soon…" The chrysalis closed over his face.

Mew shuddered, still shocked at what happened, even though he thought he was prepared for it. He never was. He started bawling. "Jirachi!"

* * *

_The present time..._

Mew stumbled through the air. There was a meeting at the Hall of Origins today. He couldn't miss it, not even when Jirachi had left them for another millennia. He sighed, making his way into the clouds.

The Hall of Origin was lively, for once. The meeting between the legendaries brought them all to the Hall, and as such, they were all interacting in ways they normally could not get the chance to do.

Deoxys and Mewtwo were chatting about a new scientific discovery. Latias was chasing Rayquaza around while Moltres looked on, chuckling. Registeel was engaged in a stiff chess match against Darkrai. Raikou and Zekrom had the stereo system blasting out techno. Arceus herself was banging her head repeatedly against a wall for accidentally accusing Manaphy of stealing the chips when Victini happened to walk into their vicinity, munching on them straight from the bowl. The meeting began in 10 minutes, and Arceus could not wait for the chaos to end. Everyone was already there, except for two legendaries. Suicune had been excused on an emergency, cleaning up a huge oil spill, but Mew was nowhere to be found. He was the only one left to arrive.

And so, it became dead silence as the main door was violently opened, a distracted and distraught Mew haphazardly flying in, mumbling to himself. Everyone was shocked at the typically happy-go-lucky feline, until Mesprit sensed his emotions. She quickly whispered to Arceus. "He's got something on his mind that won't let him go, and it's making him really depressed." She nodded. Jirachi had been awake last week, when she was notified by Absol, one of the few non-legendaries with occasional access to the Hall. Not many knew Jirachi personally, typically due to their own busy life, hence why some of the legendaries didn't understand what was happening.

Mew didn't even greet anyone, all of whom just continued staring as the feline floated by with a flight path reminiscent of a drunken Beedrill. Celebi looked on, worried. She _was_ aware of Mew's friendship with Jirachi, and also knew that he must have left. She resolved to talk to him after the meeting was over.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Arceus paused. It was Mew's turn to relate the things that had happened with him and the areas he had gone to during the past week, after hearing Heatran's account of the latest near-death experience of a human tourist on Stark Mountain. Everyone else got noticeably uncomfortable, shifting around in their seats. Mew didn't even look up. Arceus took this moment to speak.

"Fellow legendaries, you may recall the legendary Pokemon, Jirachi." At this word, Mew perked up, still not willing to talk. "Whether you were aware of this or not, this past week, Jirachi was awake." Many legendaries were shocked and relieved at the same time by this revelation. Those that were not kept their gaze deadly still. "He was Mew's best friend, and it appears he has gone back to sleep. I would appreciate it if you were to not bother Mew about this for a while. Mew, you may be dismissed if you wish."

Mew still did not make eye contact with Arceus, nor make any effort to move whatsoever. He did, however, speak for the first time in the meeting. "He's not here... why, why, why? Ohh… Where did he go? I thought maybe…"

Mew's eyes took on a manic gleam as he rocked back and forth, holding his body upright in the fetal position in his chair. Everyone else stared at Mew.

Arceus's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you should take a break, Mew," she said reassuringly.

He looked up at Arceus for the first time. "…o-okay…" His eyes were still blurry and unfocused.

Celebi looked on with concern as Mew floated out of the Hall, but her attention was turned back to Arceus as she spoke again.

"Alright, I don't want you all dwelling on this. Just take a break, okay? Everyone. Meeting adjourned. Kyurem, Lugia, and Celebi, please see me afterwards to give me an update on your status." Celebi frowned when she heard this. Mew could be going anywhere! If this took too long, she might be able to find him.

Celebi turned to Arceus before Kyurem or Lugia could speak. "Can I go now, please? I need to talk to Mew."

Arceus looked at her with bewilderment. "Didn't I just say not to bother him?"

Celebi shook her head and frowned. "Arceus, I'm also Mew's friend, remember? I need to do _something_…"

Arceus sighed. "Fine. Just report to me sometime this week." The qilin-like being turned her head towards the door. "I hope you can do something, for his sake and all of ours," she said quietly.

Celebi nodded. "Thanks." Whizzing by the god, she quickly flew towards the main entrance to the Hall as Kyurem started detailing Team Plasma's most recent activity. 'Well, let's see how this goes, if I can even find him,' she thought.

* * *

Mew, on the other hand, was moping right on the roof of the hall. He didn't notice a small green figure fly out of the front side of the building and go off into the distance.

"Where do I even go now?" He wondered aloud.

"Good question, but that's up to you to decide."

Mew whirled around, only to be face-to-face with a grayish-blue fairy-like being. She had a brighter blue head with a red jewel in the center of her forehead, along with two more on the tips of her twin tails. Her petite body was overlooked by her commanding presence.

"Azelf, what are you doing here? What do you even mean…?"

Azelf smirked. "I see you're acting more normal again. What do you think I'm doing here, stupid?"

Mew looked blank. "Uhh….."

Azelf facepalmed. "That was sarcasm. I'm checking how you're doing, that's what. Now, what was all that about Jirachi?"

Mew's tear ducts started flowing like waterfalls at the mention of his friend's name. "J-J-Jirachi w-was back this week and n-n-now he's g-g-gone already…" His next words were incoherent through sobs as he buried his head in his hands.

For once, Azelf's gaze softened, due to the mess of a Pokemon she saw in front of her. "Look. You can either stay here forever moping, or you can go out and do something about it."

Mew looked up. "Like what? What's the point?"

Azelf sighed. "This is why I came here. You need to have the will to do things yourself for your whole life, not just the one week Jirachi is here. What else do you have in your life?"

Mew had to seriously think about it. Azelf saw his lack of a response and answered for him. "You have your friends, Mew. Jirachi may be your best friend, but it doesn't mean you have to ignore everyone else."

Mew had a response to _that_. "But he just left yesterday! How can I _not_ think about him? He's not going to be around for another thousand friggin' years!"

Azelf tried to stay calm. "Yes Mew, we've already established that. What I'm saying is, you need to stop hanging on to things. Jirachi is gone, just face it and move on until the next millennium."She tried switching topics. "Who just left the Hall of Origins? Here's a hint: it's one of your friends. Go talk to her."

"Who's that?"

Azelf sighed again. "Do I need to spell it out for you?"

Mew looked blankly at her. "Yes."

Azelf looked just about ready to punch him. God, how could guys be so dense? "Fine, then I won't tell you. But you need to go out and find something else besides just Jirachi." She turned to leave.

"Hey, Azelf, wait!" Mew cried, reaching an arm out.

Azelf had to suppress a smirk. "What now, Mew?" She asked, exasperatedly.

"Who's looking for me?"

Azelf's eyes were almost bulging out of her head. She made some indiscriminate noise and then flew off.

Mew just sat there, looking at the ground. What Azelf said… was it true? He was wasting away just staying there. But what else did he want to do? Mew thought for a moment. 'Perhaps I should go look for whoever's looking for me, I guess. I have nothing better to do.'

And so, the little pink feline took off in flight, on a search for the one looking for him.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER ONE! Please review, and thank you for reading! Chapter Two will be out soon, I hope.


	2. Chance Encounter

I need reviews, people. The lack of feedback is painful. :( I know you're reading this!

Fun fact: The best time for me to write is very late at night. I stop each night when I hit a writing block, but typically I get more ideas in my sleep. As I finished this Chapter, I woke up with ideas for Chapter 3. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Chance Encounter**

* * *

Celebi was about to cry. She had been looking for Mew forever after Arceus had let her out of the meeting, but it seemed like she was too late. He was nowhere to be found. Sighing, she turned back in the forest, flying up to head back to the Hall, head down in depression. Might as well report her weekly observations now than later. However, as she breached the forest's canopy, she collided into something else. Or rather, someone.

"Oof!" Celebi staggered back, looking up to see who she had crashed into.

"Hey, watch where you're…" She was cut off as she saw who it was. "Mew!"

The pink feline looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry Cel, should've looked where I was going. I was looking for someone."

'Cel? Since when has Mew used my nickname?' she thought. "No, that's alright. You okay?"

Mew checked himself over. "I'm fine." He sat down on the nearest tree branch. "But aren't you supposed to be talking to Arceus? You can't have finished that quickly."

Celebi giggled. "No, I talked her into doing it later." She paused as she realized what Mew had said. "Wait… who would you be looking for? Jirachi? No offense, but he's not here."

Mew looked depressed again, but this time, he didn't burst out in tears. "Yeah, I know…" He just sat there in silence for a while, before speaking again. Celebi waited.

"Actually, Azelf talked to me earlier. Said someone was looking for me, so I got curious." Celebi's eyes grew wide as she listened to him, for multiple reasons. Did he know that she was the one who wanted to find him? And how did Azelf find Mew before she did?

"Yes, as a matter of fact, that would be me."

This time, it was Mew who looked surprised. "Why?"

She looked about ready to hit him. "Because I wanted to see how you were doing, that's why! It isn't every day that you're so depressed that you act that weird!" She softened her gaze, just now remembering why he as depressed. "I'm sorry…" she said quickly and quietly.

Mew just stared off into the distance. "Ehh… it's not like it could get worse… it just sucks, you know? What if _your_ best friend just disappeared again, never to return until a thousand years later?"

Celebi blinked twice, trying to imagine a life without Mew for that long. She did a double-take when she realized who the first person that came to her mind was. "That would suck."

Mew sighed. "You don't have to rub it in… Anyway, Azelf said I need to get over it."

Celebi felt appalled at herself. "I didn't mean it that way!" She stuttered quickly. "I was just agreeing with you…"

They sat there for a moment in silence. "What else did Azelf say?" Celebi inquired.

Mew shrugged. "Said that I need to find something else instead of being depressed. Sucks that I always had great fun with Jirachi, and now he's gone."

Celebi thought for a moment. "Well, if you need to find something to do, you can always ask me, and we can do something if you want." Mew looked up at her and just stared. "Well, I mean you don't have to if you don't want to…" She frowned and looked down.

Mew blushed. "No, it's actually really nice of you to offer something as generous as that." She looked up as he looked down to avoid eye contact. "I suppose it would be okay sometime." Celebi nodded. "So thanks, I guess," Mew finished.

She nodded again and smiled. "Well, if you ever feel like doing something, you know where to find me."

Mew looked up at her. "And where would that be?"

Celebi stared at him. "Ilex Forest? My home? Duh. Where did you think?"

Mew looked down again, ashamed of himself. "I kinda forgot…" he mumbled sheepishly.

Celebi sighed. "This depression thing is really changing you. Azelf is right, you need to get over it."

Mew looked up to the sky, throwing his arms up. "I can't help it! My best friend is gone! How could I just overlook a huge hole in my life?"

Celebi sweatdropped. "Uh, Mew?"

"What?"

"How big of a hole does one week in a millennium make? You have a thousand years of doing other stuff. You were fine about a month ago."

Mew froze, then sighed. "Point taken. You and Azelf are both right, I guess."

Celebi smiled. "Good. Now go find something to do."

Mew met her eyes. "Now?"

Celebi's smile turned into an 'If you answer me like that again, I will kill you' smile. "Why not?"

Mew shrugged. "Just asking, just asking…" He got up from the tree branch. "But what do I do, then?"

Celebi looked like she was going to explode. Then she actually did. "HAS ANY OF THIS GOTTEN THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD? FIND SOMETHING! _ANYTHING!_ Sheesh…" She looked back at Mew, who was now on the verge of crying again. She flew at him, hugging him. "Oh Mew, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" She was cut off.

"No, you're right, yelling at me. I really have been pretty stupid." He gently hugged her back. "Thanks."

Pulling away, Celebi looked at Mew. "Well then. Have you decided?"

"On what to do?"

"Precisely."

Mew looked around. "Uhh… I guess I'll head back to the Hall. I owe Arceus an apology…" He scratched his head, trying to remember something. "And a weekly summary. This one's going to suck…"

Celebi looked right into his eyes before beaming, "Great! I actually have to talk to Virizion, so I guess I'll see you later."

Mew shrugged, guessing that it was due to what the Grasslands Pokemon had mentioned in the meeting. "Sure. I'll stop by sometime. Thanks for everything. I needed that. Azelf isn't patient enough to talk to me for a while."

Celebi nodded. "Alright then, I'll be off. Bye~" She flew off farther into the forest.

* * *

Mew watched her leave, then proceeded to fly on a course for the Hall of Origin.

Celebi arrived in a different forest, much further away from the Hall of Origin. Virizion was in the Rumination Field, as expected, talking to a Leavanny. As she approached, she heard a snippet of their conversation. It was, unsurprisingly, about the key issue Virizion had discussed earlier that day.

"So we will hide them in the tree hollows?"

"It's perhaps the safest place for them. If anything, I can help make covers for them."

"Alright… I'm just worried…"

"No, that's understandable. Combat is risky, especially when dealing with poachers."

"…I trust in you. You've helped us throughout the years. I just can't help worrying, though."

"Yes, I know. It's in your nature. Do not fear for me and the others. We have dealt with problems like this in the past."

Celebi chose this moment to interrupt before Leavanny could speak up. "And that's why I'm here." Both Pokemon turned towards the voice of the newcomer. "Hello there."

Virizion gave a small bow. "Ah, hello Celebi. I trust you have gleaned information based on the discussion?"

Celebi nodded. "Yep. When you talked about it, I thought I probably should help out."

Leavanny smiled. "Well, Lady Celebi. Having the Time Traveler on our side gives me much reassurance."

Virizion smirked. "And you weren't reassured when it was just me and the usual Pokemon?"

Leavanny flushed, embarrassed at the slip. "No, no, I was… I apologize."

Virizion chuckled. "No worries." He then turned to Celebi. "I suppose I should share the details of the current tactical we have on this situation. As you probably heard when you were eavesdropping…" Celebi flushed with embarrassment. "…we will be hiding the young ones. I, some of the Unfezant, and perhaps the older Tranquill will secure wood for the shelters. You may travel through the ranks of the fighters and alert them of your presence. If you find any issue, let me know through telepathy and deal with it yourself. The signal for enemy engagement will be an Energy Ball in the air upon sighting. The general ruckus will be sufficient to notify everyone if the fighting has started.

Celebi nodded, absorbing all of the information. "What kind of poachers are we dealing with there? Just the standard ones?"

Virizion grimaced. "They have arms, and judging by our scouts reports on their camp, they're net guns. Don't get caught."

Celebi nodded. "Will do. I'll get my exoskeleton combat armor first, though."

Virizion nodded. "As you wish. I will see you in combat. Also, make sure that when you go through our ranks, talk with Sceptile, the lieutenant. He will tell you more specifics that I did not have time to tell you. I must be off." With that, he dashed away to another part of the forest.

Celebi opened a time rift, and went through it, with the intent of retrieving her combat armor.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Mew finally reached the Hall of Origin in the clouds. He looked at the entrance, not quite wanting to do what he was about to do. He prepared himself, then went through the main door.

Arceus was instantly aware of his presence. All of the other legendaries had left, including Kyurem and Lugia, who had stayed behind to update Arceus with the events in their respective areas. Celebi was supposed to report to her later. This made it very intriguing for Mew, who she had dismissed early due to his mental state, to be arriving. She made her way to the front entrance.

Mew had not floated very far in the Hall before he saw the Alpha Pokemon approach.

"Mew? What brings you here?"

He looked down, not wanting to meet the gaze of the god. "I kinda came back to apologize. I know Jirachi's absence was... _is_ still hard on me, but I shouldn't have let it affect me the way it did."

Arceus pulled back, surprised. Mew had done nearly a complete turnaround from a few hours ago. "What caused… this?" She gestured with her foreleg to Mew in general.

"Caused what?"

She sighed. "Your complete personality overhaul, that's what." Her gaze became rigid once more. "You've been completely impossible ever since Jirachi left a few days ago. What happened while you were gone?"

Mew looked up at Arceus. "I had a talk with some of the others, or rather, they had a talk with me. They finally knocked some sense into me."

Arceus was intrigued. "Who?"

"I talked with Azelf first, but she got exasperated with me, I don't know why. She had said someone was looking for me, so I just went out, and that's how I ran into Celebi. Quite literally, actually."

Arceus nodded. Celebi knew Mew quite well. It would not surprise her to see Celebi able to change Mew's outlook. Azelf on the other hand… she was impatient even with Uxie, and that was quite hard to do. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. But you're still not quite yourself…"

Mew cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

Arceus shook her head and continued. "You're this serious individual now, when typically you're someone who I generally dislike. Chaotic. Restless. Anxious to mess around with things. But not now…"

Mew sighed and sat down on the floor. "I still think it's partially depression. I still haven't found much to do since he left."

Arceus stared at him. "Did they tell you that you needed to find something else to keep you occupied… for the next thousand years or so?" She chuckled lightly. "Mew, this happened last time, too. If you get over it, you'll be yourself again."

Mew looked back up at Arceus. "I just don't know where I should start, I guess."

Arceus smiled. "You'll find something soon enough. Just wander around. Knowing you, something will show up quickly."

She turned to leave, but Mew stopped her. "Um, Arceus?" She turned her head around to look back at the feline.

"Yes?"

"I still have to give you my weekly report…"

Arceus turned fully around. "Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me. Now, please begin."

Mew sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it was going to be step one of 'getting over it', if he was going to at all.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER TWO! Remember, review please! I hope you liked this one! I can't guarantee when I will publish more chapters, so bear with me. This one was out relatively quick. Thank you again, and I'll see you all later!


	3. Fright in the Forest

I suppose one review is better than none. Thanks, Redwarrior702! I really appreciate your kind words. Now if only other people had anything to say about my story… I LIVE ON YOUR RESPONSES, PEOPLE. HELP ME AND MY CRAVING FOR HUMAN INTERACTION!

Warning: Due to the content of this chapter, I have changed the rating from T to M. Prepare for a lot of violence and gore, and I apologize ahead of time if this disturbs you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Fright in the Forest**

* * *

Mew left the Hall of Origins. Wow, was that emotional. It was reassuring to him that Arceus understood Mew's emotions and kept him from cracking during his report, since most of it was about what he and Jirachi did together that week. She was really quite friendly and encouraging when one was in a bad state. Now, what to do…

Mew thought for a while, hovering just outside the Hall. He wondered what Celebi was exactly doing with Virizion. He had heard mention of poaching during Virizion's report, but he was still curious of what they were doing. With this in mind, Mew turned around and went back in the Hall, looking for Arceus.

He found her almost immediately, and she had sensed his presence again and came to meet him.

"Yes, Mew? What brings you back here… again?"

Mew blushed. "Sorry… I just wanted to know what Virizion and Celebi are doing specifically. Something about poachers…"

If Arceus was intrigued by this, she did not show it. "Virizion has reported that poachers have been found in the area. There may be conflict, and they are preparing for it. Why?"

Mew froze. He had heard some unsettling noises in the forest on the way to the Hall. "I need to go there, _now_. Bye-" He dashed out the door.

Arceus merely stared after him as he left.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Celebi grunted as she was struck a glancing blow by a Salamence's Double-Edge. She shrugged it off and slammed it with a Psyshock, sending it reeling.

A full-scale battle had erupted between the forest Pokemon and the poachers. It had started when Sceptile had seen one poacher snag an Audino with a net, and since then had evolved into a state of war. The other poachers had arrived on their 4x4 off-roaders with their Pokemon, equally as cruel as their trainers. Virizion had to shield a group of young Pokemon with his own body when a poacher tossed a Pineco at them, taking the Explosion for himself. This only angered the enraged legendary further. Many bloodied corpses lay around the forest floor as a result of the fighting. With resolve as firm as steel, he had hunted down that poacher who dared to use the forest's own defenseless Pokemon as a weapon, and promptly bisected him cleanly in half with a Sacred Sword, blood spattering through the air.

Celebi glared at her new opponent. The Machamp had just ruthlessly beaten up a Pinsir, ripping off its horns before punching it between the eyes, killing it. Celebi was enraged. Her antennae glowed purple, and the Machamp held its head with all of its hands. It then collapsed on the ground, dead, from all of the Psychic pressure applied to its skull. Turning around, she spotted another grisly sight. One of the poacher's Houndoom had a bloody mouth from killing a Tranquill with a deadly Bite to the neck, and was in the process of enjoying the meal, when Celebi deftly threw a handful of Seed Bombs at it. It growled, backing up due to the small blasts.

Leavanny trembled in terror as she watched a poacher approach the shelter with his Ariados, knife in hand. She was a nurturer, not a fighter, and had a severe lack of combat skills, and was helpless to defend anyone as it swiftly trapped her and the youth with a String Shot as the man approached the trapped group. Luckily, Sceptile and Heracross came by just in time. They took them from behind. Heracross impaled the man with a Megahorn, his horn protruding from the man's chest as he sagged to the ground. Sceptile slashed through the web with a Leaf Blade as he whipped a lethal Razor Wind at the Ariados, tearing it to nothing but blood and mere shreds of what used to be the spider Pokemon. Leavanny started crying, thanking the two for saving them, but they left with just a nod as they rushed back into battle. Leavanny turned back to all of the frightened Pokemon children and herded them deeper into the forest.

Virizion was now face-to-face with the Salamence, who had recovered from Celebi's Psyshock. As it prepared to charge at him with a Double-Edge, he focused, generating many sharp stones around his body. As the Salamence charged, Virizion let loose, gouging countless holes into the dragon as it charged right into the Stone Edge. It fell to the ground midflight. Satisfied, Virizion leapt over it in search of the Jeep the poachers had initially traveled in.

That Jeep was now roaring over a hill, headed right for Celebi. She heard it long before it arrived, and flew up, dodging the Jeep as it crashed right into the Houndoom, sending it sprawling, blood trickling from its head. The man cried out, getting out of the Jeep and aiming his net gun at Celebi. It was knocked out of his hand by an Unfezant, who did not stop and kept going, aiming to help what appeared to be her mate trapped in a net. Celebi took the opportunity to throw some seeds at the man, who had a look of terror in his eyes. As they hit him, they did not explode like he was expecting, but rather, vines sprouted out from them and entangled the man, slowly draining his energy. She did not notice the Houndoom getting up until she heard the sound of the Flamethrower rushing at her from behind. She braced herself for the inevitable pain that was to come.

Sceptile clashed once again with the Pokemon in front of him. He had ambushed the poacher as it bent over to collect an Emolga he had caught in a net, and was knocked flying by a strong Slam. Sceptile had freed the Emolga with a quick Cut as the poacher's Pokemon, a Blaziken, charged at him. They had been locked in close-quarters combat for several minutes now. Ducking under a Blaze Kick, Sceptile lunged forward, knocking Blaziken away with another Slam. As it hit the ground, it flipped back up, attempting to get an edge with Close Combat. Sceptile let him get near then did a backflip, enveloping it in a huge Dragonbreath. Blaziken knelt to the ground, Paralyzed and injured by the attack as Sceptile dashed back in. It was cut in half with a look of defiance on its face. Sceptile fell to the ground, grasping his stomach. As his face was bloodied by the spray when he had killed the Blaziken with a Leaf Blade, it had hit him in the gut with a last-ditch Fire Punch. He toppled down, and fell unconscious.

Celebi kept waiting for the burning heat to envelop her, but something was off. She wasn't burned. Turning around, she saw the person who she was least expecting to see.

"Mew!"

Mew had dashed into the path of the Flamethrower, deflecting it with a Protect. "Looks like I was just in time, Cel."

Virizion crashed into the clearing. He had been close enough to see Celebi apparently being roasted by the Houndoom. Growling, he ran up and beheaded the assailant with a Sacred Sword. The head landed on the ground, a look of shock on its face. Turning to check on Celebi, he noticed that she was okay, and with her was…

"Mew! What in Arceus's name are you doing here? WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR!" Virizion roared, turning back to the trapped poacher. He readied a Sacred Sword to promptly dispose of the offender, but as he leapt in the deliver the final blow, he reeled back as the attack bounced off of a green force field. Mew had leapt in with another Protect, saving the man's life. He was stuttering by now in shock, muttering unrecognizable words. Virizion turned on Mew. "What?! Whose side are you on?!"

Mew looked Virizion right in the eyes. "That man may be a thief, a criminal, and a murderer, but he's helpless right now! There is no reason to just kill him!"

Virizion glared back at Mew with death in his eyes. "Look around you. He deserves no less. What would you intend to do by keeping such scum alive?" He spat on the ground.

Mew smiled, the thing that was least expected out of anyone at this time in the forest. "There _are_ human laws in this world, Virizion. We can take him to the police, and they can deal with him, interrogation and whatnot. If they give him the death penalty, you may have at him, but a prisoner of war has his uses."

Virizion frowned. He desperately wanted to eradicate the dirtbag bound by Celebi's Leech Seeds, but Mew actually made sense. "Still… it will not make up for what has transpired today. You did not take a look around the forest before your act of saving Celebi."

Celebi blushed. "It was a good thing he did… I don't want to know what would've happened had he not protected me from that Flamethrower."

Mew was about to say something when he took Virizion's advice and finally took a look around. When he did, the words vanished from the tip of his tongue. His face fell. Mew floated around the forest, a look of horror on his face that deepened with each new scene he saw. Virizion looked back, and saw that the poacher they had captured was now unconscious. He turned back and solemnly followed Mew. Celebi's face fell as she, too, realized the finality of the setting.

There was blood everywhere. The forest floor was littered with corpses and body parts. Here and there, a wrecked 4x4 was found. Survivors were huddled in small pockets of shelter, too stunned to move even when the danger had passed. The three didn't even know where to start the recovery process, until an Emolga ran up to them. "Help! Please…"

Virizion looked at the Pokemon. "The fight is over. There is no more threat to the forest at the time. What is it?"

Emolga looked ready to burst into tears. "It's Sceptile… follow me!" She dashed west through a cluster of bushes. The three legendaries quickly followed. When they passed through the bushes, they broke into a small clearing, where on the ground was…

"Sceptile!" Virizion rushed over to his fallen comrade. The reptile would not open his eyes.

Mew simply gave out at the sight of the unconscious forest commander, sitting down on the ground with an unreadable expression on his face. Emolga looked over at him, worried.

Celebi stared at Sceptile, then looked around, noticing the two halves of a Blaziken. "Virizion… check out his stomach…"

The Grasslands Pokemon did so. "Shit…" He bounded away, returning in less than a minute with a branch of Rawst berries. Celebi carefully fed them to the still unconscious Sceptile, and the four of them waited.

Mew put his head in his hands. "…why?" he asked rhetorically. Celebi flew over to him while Virizon laid down next to Sceptile.

She hugged Mew. "It'll be okay… it's all over now."

Mew sighed.

* * *

And here's where I'll end this Chapter. I had some spare time today, so I wrote this instead of waiting until my usual writing time. I hope this chapter doesn't give anyone nightmares. Remember, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks for reading. If you like it please let me know, and subscribe if you want to, because updates will be out frequently. Until next time, see you!


	4. Requiem

I feel like I'm writing to a brick wall… Thank you to Redwarrior702 for reviewing again! To everyone else: I know you're reading! There are no less than 18 of you! Don't you have anything to say? :(

Fun fact: You know a writer is getting too involved when it starts affecting your own emotions. I got depressed as I wrote this. Expect similar results.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Requiem**

* * *

The entire forest was dead silent. Lopunny was checking over Sceptile as pretty much everyone was watching. After what seemed like ages in what was realistically a minute or so, she looked up at Virizion, tears in her eyes. She silently shook her head, indicating 'no'.

Virizion was floored. He collapsed to the ground, staring at Sceptile. "No…"

A wail was heard in the small crowd. A Grovyle ran out to the few Pokemon gathered around the fallen Sceptile. "Daddy!"

Virizion did not even glance at the Grovyle, for he was too stunned to acknowledge the fact that his best friend was _dead_. It seemed unreal.

The Grovyle, Sceptile's son, was bent over Sceptile's prone form, crying his heart out. The rest of the forest Pokemon either just stood there, shocked, or they made their way home, dazed by the loss of their friends, family, and now their leader. Lopunny just sat down next to Virizion, silently weeping.

Mew did not get up. He was staring at the ground, his distant gaze even more obscure. Celebi looked over at him. Mew was shaking. "If only Jirachi was here… he wouldn't have died."

Celebi hugged him. "That wouldn't be possible, Mew. I'm sorry…"

Virizion then spoke, to the surprise of everyone. "I wish he was here too, Mew." He sighed deeply. "But he wasn't." His voice cracked. Virizion laid his head down on Sceptile's body, weeping for the loss of his closest friend.

Celebi paused, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she let go of Mew and looked at him. "We should probably leave him alone. Come on, let's go."

Mew just sat there for a moment. He finally looked up at Celebi, tears in his eyes. "Alright…" he sniffled.

The two made their way out of the forest, now deathly quiet. Upon reaching one certain clearing, however, Mew stopped abruptly. Celebi saw the poacher that she had caught with her Leech Seed, and watched Mew approach the man. He was conscious again, but not to the point where he could speak properly. The man looked up at Mew pleadingly.

Mew still had tears in his eyes when he Mega Punched the man in the head, snapping his neck.

* * *

_Several hours later…_

Cobalion paced around in the Hall of Origin. He had gotten word that his counterpart's battle with the poachers had ended, but aside from that, there was no additional information. "Where is he?" he muttered.

The main door sprung open. In flew Celebi and Mew, both looking like train wrecks. Cobalion immediately approached the green pixie. "Celebi! What happened to Virizion?" he asked anxiously. Arceus looked on, unnerved by the two newcomers' countenance.

Celebi looked up slowly at the Iron Will Pokemon. "I don't think you'll be seeing him for a while." Mew simply stared off into space.

Cobalion was confounded. "What do you mean? That was a dangerous undertaking that you guys went through! What happened? Don't tell me he…"

The other legendaries present started to take notice of the exchange. Uxie winced, not liking what was about to be said.

Celebi looked straight into Cobalion's glare, not affected by it one bit. "No. Virizion watched his best friend die_ right in front of him_. You'd be best off leaving him alone."

Cobalion fell back, utterly shocked. "…what? I thought… but…? Why… oh…" He walked away, not quite knowing how to respond to the revelation.

Latias looked over. Her gaze was unmoved, having lost her own brother a few years ago. She seemed to think for a few moments, before departing from the Hall.

Rayquaza looked after her as she left. "She's probably going to go see Virizion. Because…" He stopped there. Mentioning Latios was taboo. "…yeah."

Mesprit fiddled with her tails. "It's times like these where I hate existing." She glanced at Arceus, who had not moved.

The qilin-like Pokemon did not respond to Mesprit's comment. "Perhaps it's best if we let this sort itself out… at least we didn't lose Virizion."

Rayquaza looked ready to hit her. "Do you realize how hard this is going to be for him? Remember Mew two days ago? _Remember when Latios died_?"

Mew shifted uncomfortably. He looked at Celebi, who understood what he wanted. They retreated into a different area of the Hall. Rayquaza continued his outburst while Arceus just stood there, taking the verbal lashing with her eyes shut.

"Losing someone close to you affects you just as much as if you'd actually died! Latias was like a zombie for close to an entire decade! I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see Virizion at all for at least another year. At least Mew's recovering…"

Arceus opened her eyes, looking down at the floor. "I suppose we have Celebi to thank for that." Mesprit eyed Arceus curiously. "But you're right. I'll talk to Giratina… maybe I can get some insight from him."

Rayquaza refused to calm down. "You don't know what it's like to lose someone close to you. The pain of your loved ones hurts you just as much. I'll miss Latios. I can tell Virizion will miss Sceptile. I don't know about you, though." He stormed off, exiting the Hall.

Mesprit eyed Rayquaza carefully as _he_ left, too. There was something that he had said that caught her attention… ah, yes. She grinned. Sure, she had known for a while that Celebi liked Mew, but it seemed that Rayquaza couldn't hide secrets forever. Boy, would her next conversation with Latias be fun.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Celebi looked at Mew as they sat down on Mew's bed in the Hall. Mew sighed again. Celebi hugged him, wanting to reassure him that things would be okay.

"I know I said that you could come hang out with me… but I never thought that it would go the way it did… I'm sorry, Mew…"

He hugged her back in solemn silence.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Latias arrived at Pinwheel Forest. As she traveled farther, the more her brain was overloaded by pain and suffering due to the scenes around her. Bloody corpses everywhere. Pokemon in shock from their loved ones gone. Damaged nature and wreckage of some machinery. _Severed body parts of Pokemon._ Her mind was reeling. 'What in Arceus's name happened here?' she thought. She focused her thoughts, but again, clarity was quickly overridden by the overwhelming feeling of despair pervading the entire area.

She finally arrived in a clearing where she saw what she was looking for. Virizion was still hunched over the form of the dead Sceptile, although it appeared he had simply run out of tears to shed. The Lopunny had left him to his own a while ago. Pity took over in Latias's heart. She gathered up the courage to go over to him, and touched him on the shoulder. Virizion did not even look up.

"Who is it…?" His voice was gravelly and unnaturally quiet.

Latias floated by his side. "Hi, Virizion. It's me, Latias… I thought I should come and talk to you."

Virizion still did not bother moving his head from Sceptile's corpse. "Aren't you the one who lost your brother a few years ago…?"

Latias nodded, although in retrospect, that was pretty stupid, since he was not looking at her. "Yeah…"

Virizion said nothing else. Latias laid down on the ground next to the two. She began to hum '_Oracion_', as a requiem for Virizion's fallen comrade.

* * *

And that's about it for this chapter. I'm really sorry about the length, but the next part I would write would be best off at the start of a new chapter. Again, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon!


	5. Some Enchanted Evening

._.

Stop making me eat my words. They taste depressing. Anyway, new chapter up, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Some Enchanted Evening**

* * *

Mew watched from a tree branch as Celebi flew around, playing with the Chimecho, Volbeat and Illumise over the lake they were at. It had been a few days, but things were finally starting to calm down. His mind drifted off…

* * *

Virizion had not moved from Sceptile's body when the others came to see him. Latias had been bringing Virizion food. Eventually, the Grasslands Pokemon had consented to moving so that a burial could be held.

The entirety of Pinwheel Forest's population was in attendance, along with some others, much to the surprise of most. Celebi and Mew were there, as was Latias. Cobalion and Terrakion had arrived as well to console their counterpart. Rayquaza had also chosen to go, for multiple reasons known only to himself: First, because he actually cared, second, to prove a point to Arceus, and third, Latias would be attending. Rayquaza had grown a soft spot for her ever since Latios had died.

And as such, many Pokemon were in shock and awe at the sight of the Sky High Pokemon in the forest, a legendary that only a few residents had even heard of.

The burial proceeded in Rumination Field without much difficulty. Virizion had stopped sulking, and instead had dropped into the depression that Latias had been in when her brother had died. The Musketeer simply shuffled along drearily if he needed to go anywhere.

When the service, led by a Dusknoir, was over, Virizion just laid down over the grave, and stared off into space. Mew had looked at Virizion with concern, remembering his own state when Jirachi had left.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Celebi asked. She floated about, obviously tired from the emotional stress generally affecting everyone. Mew looked at her, and shook his head.

"Cel, the guy lost his best friend. And unlike me, Sceptile was around with Virizion nearly all the time. This really _is_ a huge hole in his life, so he may take a while before moving on." Mew shuddered. He still hadn't gotten over losing Jirachi to slumber again, but he hid it well enough to get Celebi off his back about it.

They had left the forest to its mourning, trying to break free from all of the bad events that seemed to keep popping up.

* * *

Mew looked up, hearing a noise. One of the Chimechos had snuck up on Celebi as a prank, and was paying for it as it nursed a hit from a Seed Bomb. She was frantically apologizing, already having retrieved an Oran Berry and making sure it was alright. Mew smiled, before wandering off into another memory…

* * *

"Mew, wake up!"

Mew stirred and rolled over, very much _not _wanting to wake up. "Mmf. Leemelone."

"Come on! Today's the show! You wanna miss that?"

Mew bolted upright, startling Celebi and almost hitting her with his head. "What? It's today? Why didn't you wake me up sooner!" He started shaking the green pixie.

Celebi winced. "Mew! Stop it!" He obliged. "You seemed really tired, so I thought I'd let you sleep in. When I came to check on you, you were still sleeping."

Mew raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Wait, what time is it now?"

Celebi giggled. "Half past one. In the afternoon."

Mew sat back, dejected. "Whaaaaat? You only gave me a half hour to be ready…" He then paused, thinking for a moment. "Is it really 1:30, or are you just tricking me?" He eyed her suspiciously.

Celebi sighed. "No Mew, I'm serious. You slept like a rock, even through the little episode we had earlier with Arceus and Regice. He decided to freeze her lunch as a joke, but she got pissed."

Mew giggled. "Regice never grew up, did he? But sheesh. Arceus needs to lighten up once in a while." He got up from his bed, floating out the door, door a hallway, and into the main lounge in the Hall of Origin, Celebi following behind. Mewtwo was conducting a hazardous experiment back at their home, so Mew had chosen to stay at the Hall. Celebi also stayed, worried that Mew might get lonely and start thinking about Jirachi again. Her room was, fortunately, right across from his in the sleeping quarters wing.

The Hall buzzed with excitement. Today was an exciting day on Earth. The four Leagues would be gathering in the Orange Islands for a super-awesome competition to be aired throughout the planet. The Hall of Origin, of course, was also prepared, having their absurdly large 180" flatscreen plasma TV (courtesy of Rotom) tuned to the pregame coverage.

The legendaries had already started placing bets, much to Arceus's dismay. The general opinion forced her to condone it, but she did not place any bets herself, and just resigned to watching the prediction analysis on the TV.

Raikou and Shaymin were having a rather heated discussion.

"I don't care that Lucian is at a type disadvantage. He's got plenty of ways to deal with Dark-types!" Shaymin yelled indignantly.

Raikou frowned. "That still doesn't override the fact that all of Karen's Pokemon have a natural advantage against Lucian. Both trainers are equally skilled, but Dark-types will always have an advantage over Psychic-types."

Shaymin twitched. "Oh yeah? What about Lucian's Bronzong and Gallade? Dark-types don't have an advantage, and Gallade will just kick their butts!"

Raikou sighed. "Even a counter has counters, Shaymin. Karen has a Houndoom, remember? Bronzong wouldn't last a minute. And a lot of her Pokemon know Ghost-type moves as well, something Gallade can hardly even stand."

Meanwhile, other legendaries were ignoring the two volatile Pokemon, and instead, betting Poke on the outcome of the Champion matchups.

Reshiram was upping the ante sizably on all of Alder's matches. "Volcarona could take on Steven's entire team! Armaldo still wouldn't even be an issue."

Such was the life of competition.

_Several hours later…_

Cobalion smirked at Suicune. The match they had bet against each other on turned out to be one of the best of the entire afternoon, but Grimsley had ended up taking the win away from Lorelei, with Cobalion accepting Suicune's payment.

"He got lucky this time…" she muttered.

As they departed, only a few legendaries were left. The evening was only beginning, and Celebi had insisted that Mew take them somewhere. He sighed. "Why do you want to go somewhere _now_?"

Celebi frowned. "Why, can't we just hang out for an evening? You haven't really done much at all since…" she stopped herself. It would not be a good idea to go back there, seeing as how Virizion was not at the Hall that day. Mew just looked at her, a weird look in his eyes. Celebi continued. "I'm sorry… I just want to make it up to you, since last time we were together, all hell broke loose."

Mew nodded. "I could live with some activity, as long as it doesn't include me becoming depressed again."

Celebi giggled. "Don't worry, I have something in mind."

* * *

And so, here he was now. Mew fidgeted on his tree branch. Why wasn't he having fun? Celebi was having a great time, playing with the other Pokemon. He thought about it.

Celebi just happened to look over at Mew. He was out of his dream-like state that he was in whenever he was having another flashback. 'It was probably something about Jirachi… better go check on him,' she thought. As she flew over, the wild Pokemon watching, Mew looked up and caught her eyes. Celebi frowned, and landed on the tree branch next to him.

"Okay, what's wrong? You're not usually like this," she asked, a strongly interrogative tone in her words.

Mew sighed. "I'm not really having fun… and I don't even know why or how."

Celebi looked at him quizzically. Then she giggled. "All you have to do is just let it happen! Come on over!" She grabbed his arm, pulling him back out over the misty lake. Once they were there, she let go, then whacked him upside the head and dashed away. "Tag, you're it!"

The Chimecho, Volbeat, and Illumise all smiled and started frantically dashing about as Mew tried to catch a certain someone in particular. Celebi proved too difficult to reach, mixed within the myriad of flashing Pokemon. As he tried cutting off Celebi's path, she dashed upwards, leaving Mew behind, so instead, he reached behind him and tagged a passing Illumise. "Gotcha!"

The game went on for a while. Mew's anxiety was lost in the frenetic excitement. When it did conclude, with a Chimecho too tired to continue, it appeared that many Pokemon were ready for a break. The majority broke off back into the forest, while Celebi let Chimecho tag her before it left too. She and Mew plopped down into the lake.

Celebi turned to Mew. "Did you have fun?"

Mew smiled. "Yup. Sure did. Why?"

Celebi giggled. "Already forgot? See, it's not hard at all to have a good time. Excitement is all around you. All you have to do is join in."

Mew nodded. "I think I'm starting to understand again."

They floated on the water for a while, simply relaxing, before Mew spoke up again.

"Hey, Celebi."

"Hmm?"

"Are you tired?"

"No, not really…"

Mew sat up and grinned at her. "Wanna go exploring?"

Celebi turned her head to look at him, and smiled. "That's the Mew I remember!" She paused, now treading in the water. "Where would we explore? The forest?"

Mew's grin grew devilish. "Nope. Found a cave." As Celebi was registering this, she was grabbed by the arm. "Come on, let's go!"

Celebi shook off his grip and followed closely as Mew traveled to the edge of the lake. There was an earthy rise on the northern edge. Upon further inspection, there was a sizable opening in it. She looked at Mew in astonishment. "When did you find this?"

Mew smiled. "I wasn't daydreaming the whole time, Cel."'

As Celebi realized the possibility of this, she sighed, disappointed for not having noticed it. After all, she was trying to keep an eye out for him.

Mew's face grew more serious. "That's not the only thing. Look in here." The two ventured inside the opening. After traveling only a short way inside, they could still see from the light pouring into the cave, but there was another source of light. Mew turned to Celebi, going over towards a pile of stones that curiously seemed to be glowing. He picked one up and brought it over.

The stone indeed _was_ glowing. Celebi's eyes widened. "That pile… was it put there?"

Mew shook his head. "I don't know. The only thing I can tell is that it'll be useful in seeing the farther in we go."

Celebi frowned. "I don't like caves that much, Mew. There's always something strange about them that just bugs me."

Mew beamed at her. "All the more reason to check it out!"

Celebi grabbed a lightstone herself as they proceeded deeper into the cave. Going along what seemed to be a smooth path, Celebi looked at Mew. Mew had a look on his face, and she was pretty sure it wasn't confidence or eagerness. Perhaps he was trying to prove that he wasn't a wuss anymore now that Jirachi had left. Still, she couldn't help feeling that Mew was also concerned about the cave…

They ventured deeper and deeper into the cave. It was actually foggy inside as well, the light from the stones creating interesting visual effects through the fog. Twice now they had passed by strange pillars. Mew and Celebi both had inspected them, noticing that there was some kind of writing on it. Celebi just made out Unown script, but the writing was too weathered to make out anything, which was odd. Natural erosion did not occur unless a source of wind or water was nearby… and the cave was dry and the air was still as far as she could tell.

That is, until they passed by a third pillar. Again, the writing was undecipherable, but in the next area, they found what appeared to be an entry. It looked like a door for all anyone could guess, but it was merely a formation in the cave wall that couldn't help but look like an arch for an entryway. It was the first idea that came into their minds, especially because they could feel the faintest of warm breezes through there.

"Mew, where are we?"

Mew turned to her, a puzzled expression permanently stuck on his face ever since the first pillar. "I dunno. We've only been walking in the same direction though, so we can still leave."

Celebi frowned. "I have an uneasy feeling about this."

Mew shrugged. "I do too, but hey, it's a cave. Didn't you say they make you feel uneasy in general?"

Celebi nodded. "Yeah, but there's a reason for that… and it doesn't mean that it's not natural. This one is worse… I wish we could've read the Unown scripts on those pillars."

Mew paused before speaking again. "You feel the wind, too?" Celebi nodded again. "Then that makes two of us. But hey, explorers didn't find anything by turning back now, did they?"

Celebi shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, if we've stumbled upon this, then we're on the verge of discovering _something_, hmm? I just hope it's not dangerous…"

Mew nodded. "Don't want anything happening now, do we? You ready?"

Celebi sighed. "About as ready as I'll ever be."

The two of them traveled through the arch. Immediately, both of them felt an ominous feeling in the air. The wind had picked up, but the fog was less thick.

Celebi started freaking out. "Is the air… distorted…?"

Indeed, Mew could make out ripples in the air. Mew quickly nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we can leave this to someone else. Let's turn back…"

Both of them hurried out the archway rather quickly. However, as they passed through again, the wind vanished. The fog was gone. And their lightstones were no longer working, however, the two could still see. Strange. The two took notice of this, but continued on. This definitely was not a normal cave. As they traveled further, the pathway opened up into a wide chamber, seemingly endless. What beheld them inside was enough to silence anything the two were about to say.

It was an incomprehensive place. Earth levitated in the air, or at least what could be qualified for air. Below that was more flooring. Neither Mew nor Celebi could tell if it was soil or rock, or something else entirely. Below that… it was just pure dark blue. Shockingly, there seemed to be pools of water, and… _was that waterfall flowing upside down?!_

Celebi pressed up to Mew, fearful of the new place. This was definitely not the room they had come through. Mew gaped in shock. "What… _is_ this place?" He hugged Celebi back, just for reassurance that she was there.

An otherworldy voice boomed throughout the endless chamber, threatening to crack the fragile hold it kept on reality.

"You mean, what _was_ this place."

* * *

Ah, cliffhangers. Such joy. Some of you smart people may be able to easily figure it out due to the many descriptions I wrote in, but don't spoil it for others, please. More cookies to those who figured it out earlier. Anyway, please review! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!


	6. Trapped

This fanfic is getting a lot more attention! Awesome! I still need reviews, though. Feedback is necessary.

Both of you who did review, just keep reading. Answers will show up in this chapter. Also, don't get too comfortable with Mew. He's not quite out of the woods yet!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Trapped**

* * *

Mew and Celebi looked around frantically for the source of the voice. A solitary figure appeared out of a nearby rock formation. It was not nearly as large as the voice suggested, and it appeared to be… laughing?

"You two look pretty freaked out. Don't be." This was said in a much more normal tone. As the figure approached closer, it seemed he was wearing a cloak, and his face became visible. Mew's jaw dropped.

"Mewtwo?! What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "I could ask the same thing." The clone paused, his face growing serious. "I was originally doing research at Turnback Cave on its distorting properties, but it seems I traveled too far."

Mew nodded. "Celebi and I were just having fun at the lake, and I found the cave, so we went exploring. Didn't turn out quite as well as we had planned." He frowned.

Celebi looked at Mew condescendingly. "What did I tell you about caves?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, yeah…"

Mewtwo smirked. "You two make quite the cute couple."

Mew and Celebi both blushed profusely. Mewtwo nodded. "Well then. At any rate, my research has been much more than fulfilling now that I'm here… but…"

Celebi piped in. "Yes… where exactly _is_ here?"

Mewtwo frowned. "This… is the Distortion World. A dimension where reality is almost nonexistent. Not a very nice place to be."

Mew raised his eyebrows in shock. "W-what? How did we end up _here_, from a cave?!"

Celebi nodded. "And why are you still here? Did you arrive only recently?"

Mewtwo shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. You mentioned you and Mew were playing in Sendoff Spring. Wouldn't you have seen me if you were there for a few hours? I have been here for nearly two days now…" He looked down. "And there is not even a single sign of an exit…" He looked back up, right at the two, seeming like he did not want to deliver the necessary message. "We are trapped. I do not know for how long."

Mew collapsed to the ground. Celebi fell right next to him, dazed. Mewtwo simply frowned. "As long as we're here, I might as well inform you about our surroundings." He pulled out a mechanical device. Upon activating it, it opened, creating a holographic scroll that had a lot of text on it. His was presumably his gadget that he stored his research in.

"This world, as I have previously stated, is almost completely separate from the laws of the natural world. "Only a few things are remotely similar, and they hold together what you and I manage to see in this place. Note the earth and the water. However, this does not necessarily make them subject to those same natural rules. By this, I mean gravity, inertia, and other properties. For example, you cannot walk off the ground into the abyss, no matter how hard you try. That was a risky theory to test, though… Anyway, you may have noticed the waterfall over there." He indicated to the waterfall flowing upside-down. "As the matter may follow at least some organization, it is not subject entirely to the rules. Then again, this place is so distorted, that even the abnormalities follow normalities, and from there, become chaotic again. The waterfall is defying gravity, yet if one rides on it, gravity applies in the same way as if it were flowing regularly. Interesting. Now…"

Mewtwo went on for quite a while. He was perhaps a bit overzealous when it came to research and lecturing.

_A few hours later…_

"…and such, the properties of the space is not only neglected, but also reflected in a sort of chaotic order that keeps the world as stable as it is right now. If it were any worse, this dimension could implode. But at least we're safe from that. That's about all… Did you understand all of that?"

Mew and Celebi's blank eyes suddenly snapped back to reality… or at least, back to where they were now. "Yes," both legendaries said simultaneously, for fear of another lengthy explanation of anything.

Mewtwo smiled momentarily. "Good. Now, should we try looking for anything that could help us get out of here? Not like I haven't tried before, but now that you two are here…"

"**…you may soon find what you are looking for.**" This voice was deep, gravelly, and booming, threatening to shatter the thin grasp on reality the dimension held, similar to Mewtwo's psychically amplified voice, but much more realistic. In fact, it _was_ real.

The three turned around, only to all gasp in shock at what now stood in front of them. It was a large, serpentine creature with a black, grey, and red body. Gold armor plating covered its upper back and face, from out of which came piercing, red eyes. Six black, tentacle-like wings protruded from its back, each tipped with a red spike. It was easily over twenty feet tall, and much longer than that.

Mewtwo was the first to recover. "Who are you?" he demanded, courage not quite failing him yet, as he was still unsure of its intentions.

The behemoth's expression did not change. "**I am Giratina, and this is my domain.**"

Celebi recovered from the shock, only to crack. "YOU _LIVE _HERE? HOW? WHY?"

Giratina's face fell. "**I was banished here. I am forced to.**"

Mew looked at him curiously. "What kind of cruel thing would be so demented as to send you here? Not to mention, you look pretty damn strong, and they'd have to force you."

Giratina sighed. "**You know her, I believe. Her name is Arceus, and you should know full well what she is capable of.**"

Mew and Celebi just stared at him, absorbing what he just said and the implications it had. Mewtwo, on the other hand, grew curious. "What did you do that made her banish you from the world?"

Giratina turned away. "**Violence. I have long been dangerous to others. I was not fond of my siblings, Palkia and Dialga, either. I have long since learned from my mistakes, but I remain here nonetheless.**"

Mew thought for a short while. "Does this mean you haven't found an exit?"

Giratina looked back at Mew. "**No.**" That was all he said as he looked away again, staring off in no particular direction.

Mewtwo frowned. "If you have been here for who knows how long, then what else have you found?"

If Giratina was intrigued by the question, he did not show it. He about-faced, and appraised the three of them. "**You three seem like worthy individuals. Perhaps it is worth an attempt.**"

Celebi raised an eyebrow. "Attempt to do what?"

Giratina continued, a blank expression on his face. "**I have discovered an artifact a long time ago. Why it was put there, I do not know. It has been of no use to me. Perhaps it will be of use to you.**" He turned around, and started heading off into the broken world that lay before them all, not waiting for them to follow.

Luckily, the three others did not hesitate in chasing the behemoth. As they ventured through the realm, Mew, Celebi, and Mewtwo found it surprisingly easy to adjust to the defunct laws of nature within the Distortion World. Mewtwo noticed that Giratina seemed to be moving in a random direction. Their overall path had circled several times.

"Excuse me, Giratina?" The legendary looked back at Mewtwo, ceasing his movement. "We're traveling in circles. Are you lost?"

Giratina shook his head sadly at the clone. "**We are not necessarily moving in circles. This world is ever-changing. It is also the reason why you believe I am lost, for in a sense, we are. I am merely searching around for something in particular. Even though the landscape shifts unceasingly, there are features that just will not change.**" He took a long look around the area they were in now, and Giratina's demeanor brightened. "**Ah. There it is. I figured we were getting closer as the mountainous section drew near. Follow me.**"

Soon, the four reached an overhang in a cliff face. There was an entrance to it, through which they all floated into. It was easily large enough to even allow Giratina to move about freely, yet it held up the surface above it with no issues. Venturing inside, Celebi got another feeling that this cave did not hold anything comforting.

She whispered aside to Mew. "As much as I don't like this entire place, this cave in particular seems really ominous…"

Mew didn't even look at her. "I'm not really surprised by much anymore. With what's happened, I suppose anything is possible."

Their small conversation was not missed by Giratina. As they traveled deeper, he spoke up. "**You are entirely correct. Even though I have come to expect much of what is different here, there exist some things that, even now, make me surprised. At the very least, it makes life here not so boring as it should.**" They reached the end of the cavern, a tall artifact at the back wall. "**Such as this. Why it exists, I have no idea. Why it is even here puzzles me more so. From what I have observed, my closest guess is that Arceus put it here to track how my intentions are progressing.**"

Mewtwo raised an eyebrow. "How would that work? I'm assuming it has to do with that artifact right here." He gestured to the object.

Giratina smiled for the first time. "**Behold. The Mirror of Souls.**"

* * *

Okay, I'm sorry for another cliffhanger here, but this chapter should be split into two parts. Why? One, it would make this one rather long. Two, I don't really want to keep you all waiting longer than you need to. I care about you guys! Remember, review please! Thanks, and I'll see you next time!


	7. Trapped: Part 2

Sorry that the chapters are being released slower than what it used to be… there are IRL things always getting in the way, and plus, this one was delayed one more day past then since Time Warner Cable had issues and didn't fix them for at least 10 hours. Meh. Anyway, finally got it done. By the way, I would rather have a complete idea for the next few chapters rather than have some ideas for the rest of the fanfic, lol.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Trapped: Part 2**

* * *

Mew, Celebi, and Mewtwo glanced at Giratina quizzically, then looked back to the artifact at the back of the cave. Mew thought for a bit. "What does it do?"

Giratina's expression was unmoved. "**This mirror does not show a simple reflection. Rather, it reflects on what is most important to your heart and soul.**"

Celebi's eyes widened. "Really?! Hmm…" she flitted about, not quite wanting to look into it. Instead, she turned to Giratina. "What do _you_ see when you look in it?"

Giratina sighed. It was not a favorable experience, to be taunted yet again by the impossible. "**Very well. Prepare yourselves.**" He then turned and gazed straight into the mirror. All four legendaries were enveloped in a warm glow emanating from the mirror, and then all was white.

* * *

Mew opened his eyes. It was not blinding white, yet it was not the dreary dark blue of the Distortion World. He was shocked. They were in a grassy field, a lake nearby with a forest on the other side of the lake. Giratina looked around, then slumped to the ground. Celebi stared over at Giratina, moving to his side. "Are you alright?" she asked, concern on her face.

Mewtwo gazed around, wonder in his eyes. "Whoa…"

Giratina raised his head and stared right into Celebi's eyes, slightly unnerving her. "**I am fine. It is simply that this place holds memories… ones that I do not like to revisit.**"

Mew looked over at the Renegade Pokemon. "Where are we?" he asked. How had they gotten out of the Distortion World?

That question was promptly answered, as Giratina stared directly into Mew's eyes. "**We are still in the Distortion World. This is merely a vision.**" He looked around again. "**This place is Sendoff Spring, a long time ago.**"

Mewtwo sputtered. "W-what? What happened between then and now? This place is nowhere like the Sendoff Spring today…"

Giratina nodded grimly. "**Precisely. This is the place of my last conflict with Dialga and Palkia. Arceus covered up the mess with a new forest, fogged over so as to deter travelers.**"

Celebi looked at him curiously. "Then why is here the place that the mirror shows you?"

Giratina sighed. "**This is the Overworld.**" He continued, due to the curious looks he received from the others. "**The land above the Distortion World, the world you three and everyone else inhabits. It has always been my wish to return.**"

The group began traveling towards the lake, Giratina in the lead. "**Brace yourselves.**"

The lake rumbled. Two large dragons emerged violently from the lake. One was colored blue and silver, four-legged with a diamond in its chest. The other was a pink and white biped, a large pearl on each shoulder. Giratina's eyes narrowed. "**Dialga. Palkia.**"

The blue being, Dialga, smirked. "**Hmph. And you said you wouldn't return again.**"

Giratina gazed longingly at the two. "**It is not of my business that I am here. It is of these.**"

Only at that moment did the two deities become aware of the other three legendaries present. Palkia's eyes gleamed. "**And what have we here? The time traveler, the original one, and its clone.**" He shifted his attention back to Giratina. "**What are they doing in the Distortion World?**"

Giratina shrugged. "**You tell me. They got lost.**"

Dialga was enraged. "**How could legendaries get ****_lost_****?**" he scoffed.

Giratina smirked. "**I seem to remember you losing your way around Sinnoh a few times.**" Dialga glared at Giratina.

Palkia was more calm. "**Tell me why you brought these fellows here, of all things to do.**"

Giratina eyed the being of space. "**Why else? It is their only chance of escaping any time in the near future.**" Both Palkia's and Mew's eyes widened.

Palkia recovered. "**You mean to say that you believe one of them holds a desire that will help them escape the Distortion World, of all places? Impossible.**"'

Giratina smiled. "**Yes, I do. Whether they know it or not. I will give them all their turn, and we will find out. My suspicions have never been wrong.**"

Dialga leered at Giratina. "I **suppose not. But there's always a first time for everything.**" He looked down at the other legendaries. "**I hope I'm wrong, for their sake.**"

Palkia observed all four of them. "**Brother, why did you come to meet us?**"

Giratina did not move. "**A few reasons. One is linked to the desire. We will need to meet others.**"

"**And the others?**" Dialga inquired.

"**They are none of your business.**" Giratina said, simply.

Palkia narrowed his eyes. "**So be it. If that is all you have, then we will take our leave.**"

Giratina nodded, and the two vanished under the lake's surface. Curiously, Giraina also noted a flash of gray amidst the trees, disappearing just after Dialga and Palkia did, but just dismissed it as a trick of the eye.

The Renegade Pokemon turned to the other three, who just stared at him, open-mouthed. He chuckled. "**Well then. Now you see what I had to deal with. You all listened to the conversation. I would like each of you to try looking into the mirror.**" With that said, the current reality shattered.

* * *

Moments later, they were all back in the cave within the Distortion World. Giratina appraised the group. "**Anyone else up for it?**"

Celebi nodded. "I'll go."

Mewtwo raised an arm out, blocking Celebi's path. "Wait, how were you able to talk with Dialga and Palkia through a simple vision?"

Giratina gazed at him. "**It is within the power of the mirror to interact with those involved with the desire.**" Mewtwo nodded, understanding. This Mirror of Souls was quite something.

Celebi nodded, too. "I see. Well then…" She promptly floated in front of the mirror, staring into it.

However, there was no flash. No enveloping glow from the mirror. Celebi merely stood there, staring into the mirror. Mewtwo looked questioningly at Giratina. "What is going on?"

Giratina studied Celebi. "**Interesting. The mirror has blocked the rest of us out. This has not happened before.**"

They waited for a few minutes, when Celebi blinked, turning back to face the group. Giratina looked at her. "**Were we there in your vision?**"

It was not until they waited for a response did they notice something wrong. Celebi's gaze was still unfocused. It stayed that way for a short while, until she snapped back to attention. "Oh, sorry… it was just the vision… No, you weren't there. But…" She looked down, refusing to meet the gazes of the three curious Pokemon. "I'd prefer to not share, if that's alright… it's pretty personal."

Giratina nodded. "**That is understandable. Anything of use?**"

Celebi shook her head. "To me, yes, but regarding our situation, not really."

Giratina looked at her for a few more seconds, before turning to Mewtwo. "**Do you wish to go next?**"

Mewtwo nodded. "I think I have an idea… but it's not something I would like to relive." Mew's eyes widened, and he sank back, whimpering. "But here goes nothing, I suppose…"

Mewtwo stood in front of the mirror, and gazed into it. A white surge of light emanated from the mirror, enveloping them.

* * *

As it faded, Giratina opened his eyes. Celebi looked around. Mewtwo and Mew where nowhere to be found. "Where are they?" she asked.

"**Where are ****_we_**?" Giratina responded. He had not known of this place in his existence.

Celebi's eyes widened, looking around and realizing where they were. Mew had told her about this a while ago. She looked skyward, taking in the ominous tower in front of her and Giratina. Dark clouds swirled above. This was that fateful battle, a long time ago. The battle of the clones. She hurried inside, Giratina following her without question.

Upon passing the threshold of the tower's entrance, the two could hear… was that a faint acoustic guitar? Indeed it was, and a faint singing voice could be heard.

_"Brother, my brother, tell me what are we fighting for? We've got to end this war."_

_"We should love one another. Oh, can't we just pretend this war never began?"_

_"We can try-y-y-y, brother my brother…"_

Celebi's eyes widened. Giratina did not question anything. They quickened their pace up the staircase, as Giratina was thinking about the words' meaning and the possible relations between the original and the clone. His eyes widened when he came across the closest possibility.

_"We face each other from different sides. The anger burns, can't remember why."_

_"It's kind of crazy to cause so much pain. Our foolish pride makes us hate this way."_

_"We watch our world fall apart! Tell me what good is winning when you lose your heart!"_

Celebi and Giratina flew into the main chamber, as Mew and Mewtwo charged at each other again. Countless _pairs_ of identical Pokemon engaged in battle as a few humans watched on, stunned. Upon closer inspection, Celebi noticed tears in the eyes of _both _Mew and Mewtwo. The omnipresent music continued ringing throughout the tower.

_ "Brother, my brother, tell me what are we fighting for? Isn't life worth so much more?"_

_"We should love one another. Oh, can't we just pretend this war never began?"_

_"Tell me why-y-y-y, brother my brother…"_

Celebi sank to the ground, not wanting to take in the scene. Now she understood why Mew had started whimpering as Mewtwo moved to look into the mirror. However, she noticed a few more details. Mew and Mewtwo seemed like they were trying to move separately, as if they were trying to defy their own bodies. Perhaps they _were_. This was supposed to be a vision. If they had been present when in the mirror, then their consciousness must be at the present time, not at the time of the vision, even though their bodies were tied to the memory.

_"Let's take a moment to look deep inside… and say we're willing to give love a try."_

_"We're not so different as we seem to be… There's so much more to me than what you see."_

_"It don't have to be this way! Think about the consequences, then turn and walk away!"_

Giratina curiously noticed one Pokemon that was alone without a clone, one that was not Ash's Pikachu. It was a Ninetales, strangely, but it was gray and blue, rather than the usual gold and tan. It smirked as they made eye contact. The view of the stranger was blocked by another bright flash as Mew and Mewtwo collided once again. Giratina noticed the Ninetales was gone.

_"Brother, my brother, tell me what are we fighting for. Isn't life worth so much more?"_

_"We should love one another. Oh, can't we just pretend this war never began?"_

_"Tell me why-y-y-y, brother my brother… oh, tell my why-y-y-y, brother my brother!"_

The two fighters prepared to charge one more time. But this time, one of the humans, whom Celebi recognized as Ash Ketchum, dashed over. "No!" She cried out, as did some of the other humans. When Mew and Mewtwo collided one more time, it was too late. Ash was caught in the middle. As the glow faded, there he laid, turned to stone.

The scene played itself out once again. Pikachu attempted again and again to revive his faithful trainer with repeated Thundershocks, to no avail. Tears were shed, by it and the rest of the Pokemon. Celebi noticed Mewtwo and Mew were now… _smiling?_ This must be the part near the end, if the combatants were slowly regaining control of their bodies. And so, as Pikachu's last tear was shed over Ash's corpse, it began glowing, the tears of everyone beginning to circulate around it. As he was revived however, Mewtwo winced. The glow was much brighter than usual. It grew so bright that it blocked all vision.

When it faded, they were back in the cave within the Distortion World.

* * *

Mewtwo was huddled on the ground. "I hated that day. I grew to regret it. I always wanted to change it, but I suppose that if it had never happened, I would not be who I am today. Maybe that is why my dream lives on as is. I had to relive it to make sure of it." He still looked at the ground.

Giratina looked at Mew. Mew did not meet eyes with him. "I guess it's my turn, then. I already know what I'm going to see." He abruptly stopped, then sharply turned to face Giratina. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Of how we would leave?"

Giratina only smiled. "**It was your only viable option. It was either that or spend years looking for the ever-shifting exit.**" He motioned for Mew to move. "**Go on, take a look inside your heart.**"

Mew did so. As they did, they were dragged once more inside a vision, scene transitioning with a flash.

* * *

It was an odd place. The four were now in a field, but a field made entirely out of crystal. It was likely amethyst, being made of clear and purple crystal. The four legendaries proceeded forward, for in front of them was a large hill.

Reaching the summit of the hill, the travelers were greeted with a shock, Giratina mostly so. For there was Jirachi, talking with the very same oddly-colored Ninetales that Giratina had seen at the tower. As the four approached, the two turned to greet them. The Ninetales smirked.

"**Who are you, and why have you been following us?**" Giratina bellowed. Celebi and Mew turned to him, a curious look on their faces.

Ninetales chuckled. "You have not figured it out by now? Very well. I shall explain. I am the one who created this mirror." At this, all four gasped with shock. Jirachi watched solemnly. "I was once in the very same position as you three, lost and subsequently trapped in the Distortion World. With me was a special friend. I shall not talk of her longer, but I desired for her to escape, somehow. And so, I spent my body and soul to forge the mirror. My desire for her to escape did just that. The vision was of a time in the recent past, and so in the vision, she replaced the vision's rendition of her, and life for her continued as normal, the dimensions melding into one. She remembered what had happened too, and so, avoided the same fate as the rest of us. I, on the other hand, as a result of creating the mirror, remained trapped in here."

Giratina nodded, understanding, while Mew and Celebi just gaped at him, open-mouthed. "**I see. Well then, I thank you for your work. Mew's desire is what will enable them to leave.**"

Ninetales nodded. "Yes." He then turned to Jirachi, allowing him to speak.

Jirachi looked fondly at the group. "Hello, Mew. And hello to you, Celebi, Mewtwo, and… Giratina, was it?" The legendary in question nodded. "This vision is in the mirror now, because of Mew. You really wanted to see me that badly, friend?"

Mew looked down. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help thinking about it… after all, you're my best friend."

Jirachi nodded. "I know… but Mew, you have to understand that I can't just not go back to sleep. I am not permanent in this world, so you do have to move on every 1000 years until I come back. I know it's a while, but you have to tough through it."

Mew sighed, flying around anxiously in loops. "Yeah… Celebi's been trying to get me to do stuff, so I suppose that's a step in the right direction."

Celebi blushed at the mention of herself, then smiled. "Mew, everyone is saying the same thing, so shouldn't we all be right? If the only one denying it is you, then it's probably just you."

Mew just looked down. "So, Jirachi, mind if we ask one more favor?" Jirachi nodded, imploring him to continue. "I wish the exit to the Distortion World will be easily found." The Wishmaker began glowing, closing his eyes, as the other five watched.

When the glow dimmed, Jirachi's eyes opened again. "It is done." He smiled. "Mew, I'm just sorry that I can't be around with you. It's really so much fun when we hang out, but it's sadly a once-in-a-millennia opportunity. I hope that you'll find something this time around. Goodbye, everyone…"

Ninetales nodded. "So, I suppose this means I will be gone, too."

Giratina stared strangely at the fox Pokemon. "**Well… let's see what I can do about it. If I am the ruler of the Distortion World, perhaps there is a way to reverse the mirror's formation. Inverse dimensions can surely have inverse processes, no?**"

Ninetales's eyes widened. "What?! You can… do that? I didn't know you controlled this dimension…"

Giratina shook his head. "**I don't, but I know more about it than anyone else, including Arceus, by this point. I could likely just focus my energy and channel the natural laws of this dimension and apply it to the mirror.**"

Ninetales looked at Giratina, a look of eternal gratitude in his eyes. "You would do that for me? You don't even know me!"

Giratina did not change his expression. "**You told us your story. That is enough. You have a heart of dedication and sacrifice, and your creation has helped us all. You are most certainly worthy.**" Ninetales nodded, and the world grew bright again. This time, everyone noticed that the light originated from Ninetales's eyes.

* * *

Giratina, Mew, Celebi, and Mewtwo reappeared inside the cave within the Distortion World. Celebi looked around, but Ninetales was not there. Only then did she remember Giratina had not freed him yet. As she looked at him, he was already glowing, pulsing with dark blue energy. The mirror was doing the same. In a few moments, it shattered, leaving the oddly-colored Ninetales collapsed on the ground. He looked up at them, bowing his head. "Thank you… I am forever in your debt."

Giratina shook his head, then floated to the edge of the cave and looked outside. The others followed. Nearby below, a portal had appeared, glowing white. The five journeyed down, stopping next to it. Giratina sighed. "**And this is where we part.**"

Mewtwo looked at him questioningly. "Why? Can't you leave too?"

Giratina shook his head. "**Mew, if the only thing holding me here was that ever-moving exit, don't you think I'd be long gone by now? I've found it a few times, but each time, it would not accept me. I suppose it is Arceus's curse that keeps me rooted here.**" He looked at Ninetales. "**Go with them. If you all can talk to Arceus about me, perhaps you can let her reconsider, or at least have her come and talk to me. That is all I ask.**"

Ninetales's eyes widened. Meet with the creator of the universe? Whoa…

Celebi nodded. "That won't be a problem. You've been ever so helpful and friendly. We won't forget you." She turned to the rest of the group. "Are we all set? Giratina, where would this take us?"

"**Look through it. It's Sendoff Spring, if you can make out the scenery in the portal.**"

Celebi smiled. "Thanks." She turned back to the group, and then noticed something. Mew had tears in his eyes. He spoke. "I've made a new friend, and here is another friend I can't be with again… why is it always me?"

Ninetales turned to Mew. "It is not the fact that they will be gone that you should dwell on. It is the fact that you will see them again that you should hold on to, and that hope will propel you forward through each day. It is something I learned when wandering through the mirror."

Mew sniffed. "I guess so… it's just that Jirachi's gonna be gone, and Giratina's trapped here for who knows how long…"

Celebi smiled reassuringly at Mew. "It'll be okay." She took his hand, then looked back at Giratina. "Goodbye! We'll make sure to talk to Arceus." With a nod from Mewtwo, the five departed into the portal.

Giratina watched them leave, sighing. At least he had a hope for his own future now.

* * *

End of Chapter 7! Quite the long one compare to my other chapters. Sorry that it's late! My retarded internet provider had issues and cut out at the source, and it's been down for about 10 hours now. As I'm writing this, I'll being going off to sleep soon. This chapter will be posted whenever the problem with those idiots is fixed. Again, thanks for reading! Review please! And I'll see you all next time!


	8. The Greatest Gift of All

Hey everyone! You may have noticed the lack of new content. I did post a review detailing my condition, but I'm afraid that was not all. That week, I was overloaded with last-minute school stuff, but on Friday, I got sick. Meh. Writer's block and lots of sleep on Saturday… At least I was at home on the couch when I watched my Ravens kick the Giants' butts on Sunday. Anyway, I had a lot of family stuff to do in preparation for Christmas from Sunday through tomorrow, so I did not have much time to write for extended periods of time.

All excuses aside, here's the holiday special! Enjoy, and review please.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Greatest Gift of All**

* * *

Arceus glanced around as she paced back and forth. Legendaries were trickling into the Hall. Tomorrow was Christmas, a special day when they celebrated the birth of Arceus's human envoy. And so, in celebration, on Christmas Eve, all were gathered at the Hall to ask one wish, and Arceus would accommodate them the next day as they spent the night. As she waited, Arceus thought about what each legendary might ask for this year. Mewtwo might want some vague, hazardous materials for more experimentation. She chuckled as she remembered Darkrai asking last year for one week without Cresselia pestering him. As she came to Virizion, Arceus frowned. Would he even show up? It had hardly been a week since the incident. Dismissing this worry, she pondered on what Mew might ask for. She knew Celebi was trying her best to get him to return to his normal, jovial self, and so, she was definitely interested in that.

Arceus's train of thought was shattered as a group of Pokemon entered. With a quick glance, she saw Celebi, Mew, Mewtwo, and… what _was a non-legendary doing in the Hall?!_ Only two non-legendaries had permission to set foot in the Hall, being a certain Absol and a certain Lucario, having been quite involved with two legendaries themselves. As this Shiny Ninetales walked beside Mewtwo, Arceus moved to confront the group.

"Who is this, and why is he here?" she said, gesturing to Ninetales, a dark tone of warning in her voice.

Mew floated up beside Ninetales and looked right into Arceus's eyes. "He has our permission to be here." Arceus was about to speak, but Mew cut her off. "The explanation has to wait until the meeting. I'm sorry, but you need to tolerate him for at least until then."

Arceus frowned, not liking this situation very much. The group did not seem to be in the mood to discuss matters, and did not seem as if they could be forced to either. She wondered what could have possibly happened for their resolve and general appearance to be the way it was, when Ninetales bowed to her and spoke.

"It is a great honor meeting you. Forgive my intrusion here. As Mew has mentioned, I cannot explain myself until the time is right. We had a conversation on our way here, and it is for the good of everyone else that the reasons must be kept disclosed." Ninetales bowed again, as Arceus furrowed her brow.

Mewtwo had already gone off to chat with Deoxys, but Celebi spoke up. "It looks like everyone's almost here. It'll be okay, right?"

"Sure…" Arceus grumbled. She turned as headed back to her previous position, pacing at the head of the assembly room, now even more curious as to what the night would bring.

Celebi nodded, then turned to Ninetales, who still held an expression of awe on his face. "Don't worry too much about it. Arceus is just like any other Pokemon once you get to know her. Make yourself at home."

Ninetales's mind focused, and he looked back at Mew, then smiled. "Thank you. It's not every day one gets to meet the creator of the universe, though." He looked back at the Alpha Pokemon. "She certainly seems stressed out, though." He smirked. "I can imagine why."

Celebi giggled. "Yup. You're right on that point." She looked around. "Perhaps you should go talk to Raikou or Suicune. They're pretty cool, and I think they'd be a good place to start getting acquainted. Raikou will introduce you to everyone else after that." She giggled again.

Ninetales nodded, smiling. "Alright. Thank you, Celebi. I will see you later, then." He walked off.

Celebi turned to Mew, who was sitting on the ground, staring into space. "Mew! Please tell me you're not thinking about Jirachi again!"

He looked up at her, and shook his head. "Sheesh, Cel. Is that all you ever think I do?"

She sighed. "What have you been doing for the past week before I started dragging you places?" Mew did not respond.

* * *

_A short while later…_

Arceus stood with relief at the head of the assembly room. All of the legendaries had finally arrived, and she could begin the meeting at last.

And so, each legendary anxiously awaited their turn as they entered the next room to speak with Arceus about their one wish. A few were intrigued by the presence of Ninetales, but none seemed to care very much in light of the mood.

Arceus chuckled at her latest visitor's request. "All right, Victini, I'll see what I can do. Send in someone else, if you would." Moments later, Celebi flitted in, not looking too happy for some reason. "Hello, Celebi. Something the matter?"

Celebi looked at Arceus and shook her head. "Not really. It's just that... nah, never mind."

Arceus cocked her head. "Are you sure? Very well. What is it you'd like this year?"

Celebi shook her head again. "That's the problem. I only really have one thing I want right now, and I have to do it by myself. Not even you could help." Arceus blinked twice.

"Oh, really? Is this personal?" Celebi nodded. "I see."

Celebi flew around nervously. "Since I didn't wish for anything, could you give mine to Mew? I know he has a few things on his mind." Arceus's eyes narrowed. "Please?"

Arceus sighed. "Alright, I suppose I could let him do that. Will you send him in next?" Celebi nodded and flew out the door, with the pink cat coming in, looking rather distracted. "Hello, Mew. How are you doing?"

He merely shrugged. "I got a big favor of you to ask this time around, and I was worried about how you'd react."

She nodded. "This is about that Ninetales?"

Mew shook his head. "More than that. Much more. But yeah, it does involve him." Arceus motioned for him to go on. "Could you reconsider your punishment of Giratina? He's definitely changed from what we've heard he was like in the past."

Arceus nearly fell over from shock. "WHAT? HOW DID YOU- WHEN DID- WHAT HAVE-"

Mew sighed. "Celebi and I were playing one day by a lake. We went exploring because I found a cave. I didn't know it was Turnback Cave, and we got lost and ended up in the Distortion World." Arceus did not react, stunned further by this explanation. When Mew paused, Arceus recovered, motioning for him to continue. "So there we met up with Mewtwo, who _had_ known about Turnback Cave, but went a little too far while doing research. There, we met up with Giratina, and he took us to a pretty cool mirror that gave us visions of what was in our hearts and brought us into them. Because Jirachi was in mine, I was able to make a wish to get the rest of us out of the Distortion World, but Giratina couldn't go. Inside the mirror, we met that Ninetales, who apparently created the mirror, but was trapped inside, so Giratina reversed the process of creating the mirror to free him, and now here we are."

Arceus did not move for a good five minutes. When she did, she was dangerously silent, only pacing back and forth, looking at the ground. After a while, she stopped pacing, and sighed, turning to Mew. "Why is it that every year, you ask the hardest things? I'll think about it…" She paused, remembering what Celebi had said. "Oh, and one more thing. Celebi asked for her wish to be given to you to use freely. Is there anything else?"

Mew's eyes lit up immediately. "I want to see Jirachi."

Arceus sighed. "Mew, I've told you already, he's bound by the Ancient Code. Not even I can change that."

Mew flew around anxiously. "All I want to do is talk with him. Not bring him back."

Arceus was silent for a moment. "Not one, but two rather difficult requests from you, Mew. I'll talk to Musharna, I suppose. See me tomorrow. As for Giratina… I'd like to talk to this Ninetales after everyone else has gone. Send someone else in for now." Mew nodded, flying out of the room.

Arceus sighed again. "The greatest gift to give is the gift of life. Why am I so anxious about doing this?" she mumbled to herself.

* * *

_Later that evening…_

Everyone had presented their wish to Arceus. Over the night, she would set to work fulfilling all of them to the best of her ability.

As Arceus left the room, her face was stuck in a grim visage, as she prepared to confront one whom she had never wanted to see again. If it were not for that Ninetales's story, she may have simply refused Mew's request. But for _three_ legendaries as well as a _resident_ of that very place… then it must be true.

_Elsewhere…_

Mew peered his head into Celebi's room that she was staying in for the night. "Celebi?" he asked tentatively.

The one in question looked up and muted the TV. "Yes?"

"I wanted to talk to you for a minute…"

* * *

Alright, and we're done for now. The next part is best left for a new chapter, as the contents of it are not really as relevant to this one. Again, I apologize for the delays, and I hope that periods between releases will not be this long again until the time between the end of this fanfiction and a whole new one. **Please review!** Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time!


	9. Confessions at Midnight

Hello! Glad I'm back on track (hopefully). Unfortunately, this fanfic will be grinding down to a close soon. For this story's plot, it's gone through almost all of the material. If I let this go on longer than it needs to, it would just be pointless delaying unless I added another plotline, which I'd rather not do. I estimate we have about four chapters to go… But enough of the sad stuff. Good news! I have another fanfic idea, and it's solidifying quite rapidly. However, I promise you I will not start writing that until after this one is done.

NinjaguyKasa and Funnyach, there are answers coming up, don't worry!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Confessions at Midnight**

* * *

Mew peered his head into Celebi's room that she was staying in for the night. "Celebi?" he asked tentatively.

The one in question looked up and muted the TV. "Yes?"

"I wanted to talk to you for a minute…" Mew looked at the ground.

Celebi cocked her head. "Sure, come on in?" Mew did so, flopping onto the bed next to her. "What's up?"

Mew looked over. "I wanted to ask you something." Celebi raised her eyebrows, then nodded, turning the muted TV fully off. "What did you see, back at the Mirror in the Distortion World?"

Celebi blushed profusely. "It was too embarrassing and private to say in front of them." Mew nodded, imploring her to continue. Celebi sighed. "You really need to know?"

Mew just looked blankly at her. "Cel, the Mirror didn't show the rest of us what you saw. It's been bugging me for a while, especially how you reacted."

Celebi shifted on the bed, swinging her legs over so that she was sitting on the edge of it, looking out the window. "It was about you, Mew."

Mew blushed, momentarily panicking. "Me? What was it about?!" He paused for a moment. "If it was about us, why didn't it drag us into the Mirror in the same way it did to me and Mewtwo?"

Celebi shuddered, not liking that memory. "I'm not sure, Mew. But I think it's because what I saw hasn't ever happened in real life."

Mew's eyebrows raised. "Then if that's a Mirror showing what's deep inside…"

Celebi nodded, cutting him off. "Right." Her mind drifted back to the vision. She couldn't help it. The two of them were relaxing in the forest, sharing berries and having fun. It was an overwhelmingly positive mood, and one couldn't help feeling the cheerfulness abounding from the vision. The two were hugging, simply enjoying their time together, when they kissed. Celebi's mind snapped back to reality.

Mew was staring at her, curiosity on his face. "You all right, there?" Celebi nodded, her face still flushed. "So, if that mirror shows our desires…" He beamed. "I'm so glad you think we're such good friends!" Celebi's eyes shot open wide as Mew hugged her, then let go. His eyes were less happy now, but he still had a smile on his face. His gaze, however, was less focused. "I suppose I really can have fun with people besides Jirachi. Thank y-" He was cut off as Celebi burst out of her own room. Mew followed, only to see her fly into the nearest bathroom. He didn't notice that her eyes were watery. Mew looked after her, confused and slightly worried.

* * *

_A short while later…_

The door to Mesprit's room was flung wide open. Celebi hovered in the doorway, staring at her as Mesprit nearly hit the ceiling with shock. "WHAT THE FU- oh hi, Celebi! What are you doing, barging in on someone like that! Jeez, you scared the crap outta me…" Mesprit fumbled as she hastily shut her laptop.

Celebi stared at her in a creeper/serial killer way, eyes wide open. "THE FRIENDZONE. HOW DO YOU BREAK IT?!"

Mesprit looked up at her, slightly puzzled, as she held her hands up. "Whoa girl, back it up, back it up. What happened, who happened, when where why how?"

Celebi fluttered in and plopped down on her bed. "It's Mew."

Mesprit's eyes flashed open in a brief moment of clarity. "Oh… I get it. Makes sense. So, what happened, now?"

Celebi sighed. "It's a long story…"

Mesprit nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."

And so Celebi recounted everything that had happened involving herself and Mew, from the point where Jirachi left, to when they fought the poachers in the forest, to when they were in the Distortion World, up to what had just happened earlier that night. As she went through the entire tale, Mesprit's face changed expressions no less than thirty-seven times. The end finally came.

Mesprit whistled. "Daaaaamn. Never even thought anyone could even get to the Distortion World unless Arceus sent them there." She thought for a few moments. "But anyway, did you tell Mew exactly how you felt?"

Celebi paused, then shook her head. "Never got the chance to. Emotions took over when the Zone hit."

Mesprit nodded. "I see. Anyway, a straight-out confession would do the trick, but there's really no need."

Celebi flinched. "And why is that?"

Mesprit giggled. "It's about Mew's other wish, the extra one you gave him. And it's not the one Arceus flipped out over." Celebi raised her eyebrows. "He wanted to talk to Jirachi again. Arceus suggested I go with him to the Dream World to get his emotions settled straight. As long as that's going on, we might as well bring you, too."

Celebi's eyes widened. "Just when is this happening?"

Mesprit's gaze took on a slightly manic gleam. "Oh, it's nothing too urgent, just tomorrow morning! Teehee! I can't wait!"

* * *

Uhhh… wow. Really short chapter. Thought it would go longer, but it looks like this dialogue wasn't too long. My bad. Anyway, the upcoming content is separate, so I won't add it to this one. You can probably guess what it is. The next chapter should be rather lengthy. And, looking back at my chapters, the length has gotten more and more inconsistent. I gotta get it together. . So, thanks for reading! Review please! And rest assured I'll have the next chapter up soon. Until next time, see you later!


	10. More Than Just A Dream

Hey guys! Classes started back up, and they're piling the work back on! Yay… not. You all know what this means: less time for me to write. Sorry, everyone. Please bear with me! From your responses I know you all really like my writing (a big thank you to everyone), so I'm sure it won't be too much of an issue. Anyway, I present the 10th chapter! Double digits, woo!

* * *

**Chapter 10: More Than Just A Dream**

* * *

It was well before sunrise, when most everyone else was asleep. Arceus was waiting. It had turned 5:00. Action. Mesprit appeared like clockwork in the room they were meeting in, dragging a slightly drowsy Mew with her. As Mesprit looked around, she noted that besides Arceus, they were also in the presence of Cresselia, who was serenely floating off to the side, Darkrai, who was sitting down and not looking overly cheerful to be up so early, and another Pokemon, a pinkish non-legendary whom they recognized as a Musharna. Surprisingly to Mew, Celebi was also sitting down to the other side.

Arceus appraised the two arrivals. "Glad to see you here. This is Musharna; she oversees the Dreamyard down in Unova. She will be the one to allow your contact with Jirachi via the Dream World."

At her mention, Musharna smiled. "Hello. It is an honor being here in the Hall. It's quite the lovely place. And your names are?"

Mew perked up. "I'm Mew."

"And I'm Mesprit," the being of emotion added. "Glad to see you here as well."

Darkrai grunted something that sounded suspiciously like "I'm not." Cresselia smacked him.

Arceus chuckled. "Darkrai, I'm sure you'll wake up more when we go through with this task."

Mew piped in with a question. "Celebi, what are you doing here?"

Celebi smiled slightly. "You'll find out later."

Musharna smiled. "Okay, now that everyone is here, should we get started?" Arceus nodded. "Alright, I'll explain. When someone is asleep, they have dreams, as you all know. Musharna and Munna can dive into those dreams, and using our smoke, we can immerse you and others in the Dream World to actually live in your dreams."

Mew nodded. "So, we fall asleep and you bring us to the Dream World."

Musharna nodded. "Precisely. Are you ready?"

Arceus interjected. "Also, just to let you know, Mew, Cresselia and Darkrai are here to ensure your dream is the one you want, and they will prevent other possibilities from happening. We don't want anything bad to happen." Darkrai sighed, and upon seeing that, so did Arceus. "Just stick with it, Darkrai. I'll deal with your wish at sunrise."

Mesprit smiled. "Alright, let's go!"

"Alright, here we go. This should work within a few moments. Good luck." Musharna then used Yawn, making Mew, Mesprit, and Celebi all drowsy. They soon fell asleep onto a jumbo-sized bed Arceus had prepared so as not to be asleep on the floor. Cresselia and Darkrai's eyes both glowed, and then Musharna's eyes flashed once. Her smoke started changing color, and she moved over next to the three sleeping legendaries, who breathed in the smoke. Arceus laid down on the floor as the process began.

* * *

Mew, Mesprit, and Celebi woke up. But they were not in the Hall. They weren't anywhere that they could recognize. All around them was just a dark purple and pink area, featureless save for the environment, which looked like they were engulfed in the colored clouds, and the clouds below them were solid like a floor. All three gazed around until they all heard Musharna's voice.

"Can you hear me? Just respond, I will be able to hear you." The three voiced the affirmative. "Good. This is the Dream World. Mew, Cresselia tapped into your dream, and it should be what you are looking for. Just keep walking forward and they should show up soon, but be careful. Dreams are a tricky place." Musharna's voice cut out.

Mesprit looked at the other two, shrugging. "Might as well do what she says. Mew, wanna lead the way?"

Mew shrugged as well, floating forward into the mysterious place, Celebi and Mesprit close behind.

Further on, Mew's adrenaline started kicking in, as he recognized the place. The purple clouds of the Dream World had transitioned into clear and purple crystal. The crater of the wishing star's only relic: Jirachi. The chrysalis was there, and as the trio approached, it began to unravel. Moments later, Jirachi floated up and out of the open chrysalis, eyes still closed. When they did open, Jirachi's eyes at first showed utter happiness, but quickly flashed to exasperation and he smiled, shaking his head. "Mew, how many times do you need to say goodbye to me?"

Mew's face flushed as Mesprit grinned widely. Celebi just watched. "Uhh... sorry buddy, I just couldn't help it." Mew smiled sheepishly.

Jirachi smiled. "And I see you brought some others with you. Hello again, Celebi. And you are?" Jirachi indicated Mesprit, who beamed.

"I'm Mesprit! Nice to meet you! I'm here this time so I can help you guys sort out your emotions, since Arceus created me as the Being of Emotion, so I can do stuff like that better than anyone else." Mesprit did a flip in the air. "Plus, I'm just awesome like that."

Jirachi bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mesprit. I suppose Arceus sent you this time?" She nodded. Jirachi leveled his gaze back to Mew. "So… what is it this time?" He smiled faintly.

* * *

Back in the Hall, Darkrai was twiddling his thumbs, while Cresselia was simply still. Arceus looked over at Musharna. "How will we know when they're done?"

Musharna smiled at Arceus, whose expression clearly showed her anxiety. "It's just a dream. They'll simply wake up."

Arceus looked away. She was still nervous about the extra part Mesprit had told her. It wouldn't be normal…

* * *

Mew looked down. His mind flashed back to the time when he was discussing his second wish with Arceus.

_"Arceus, just one more question…"_

_"I thought you were done?"_

_"What would happen if Jirachi never went to sleep?"_

_"Mew, he's bound by the Ancient Code. He can't avoid that."_

_"No, that's not what I mean. Hypothetically, if he _did _avoid it, what would happen? Like if the Code didn't apply to him anymore?"_

_"Mew… why do you always ask these kinds of questions?"_

_"It's because I want to know… is that a problem?"_

_"I suppose it's not…"_

_"And?"_

_"Jirachi would most likely lose his ability to grant wishes."_

_"_What?!_ But… why?"_

_"When Jirachi goes to sleep, his inner eye is recharging. Granting wishes takes a huge energy toll, and him going to sleep is the price of the wishes catching up to him at the end of the week. It takes a millennia for him to recover and awaken, once again ready to grant wishes."_

_"…"_

_"I'm sorry Mew, it's just the way it is."_

_"I know…"_

_"Is that all?"_

_"…"_

_"You should get some rest, Mew. Don't let this bother you too much. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_"…okay…"_

Mew suddenly looked back up at Jirachi. "What happens to you when you go to sleep?" Jirachi gave him a quizzical look. "Like, do you dream or anything?"

Jirachi shrugged. "I don't know, Mew. I don't remember anything when I wake up, and I don't have any memories of when I'm asleep."

Celebi interjected. "Really? If you're asleep for a whole millennium, I'd at least think your mind is doing _something_…"

Mew shook his head. "No… Arceus told me that when you go to sleep, Jirachi, you're recovering your energy to grant wishes. Is it really _that _tiring that your body won't even let you dream?"

Jirachi shook his head. "Apparently not. The Wishing Star is a strange power, even to me, after all these eons. If that's the way it is, then it is."

Tears began forming in Mew's eyes. "You can't even stay awake for more than a week, and then you aren't even allowed to remember anything aside from that?"

Jirachi shook his head. "Mew, it's okay…"

"No it's not!" Mew sat down on the ground. "How can you think that's even close to fair?"

Jirachi did not respond. Mesprit nodded to Celebi, who floated over by Mew's side. "Mew, please calm down…"

Mew did stop talking, but he kept sniffling. Jirachi found what he was going to say. "Sometimes, life isn't fair. I was chosen for this destiny, and it is one I will fulfill, whatever it takes. I'm just sorry that it's not a good one to have in terms of friendships…"

Mew looked up. "Well, no duh."

Jirachi smiled. "And besides. Even when I am gone, you have many others to keep you company in my absence. You should count your blessings instead of wanting more." Mesprit started to float over to Mew.

Mew hit the ground with one paw. "But you're my best friend! Who else can-" He was cut off as someone smacked him on the shoulder. Mew looked over and saw Mesprit, who was pointing past Mew. Mew turned around, only to find himself about three inches from Celebi's face.

Now that he was aware, she giggled, backing off to a distance of about eight inches. "I'm still here, Mew. Didn't you have fun that one evening?" Mew was stuck looking at her. "That is, before we got lost… ehehe." Celebi added sheepishly.

Mew did not move his gaze. Celebi could see that his eyes were not focused, and he was not looking at her, but rather thinking about something else. Mew mumbled something incomprehensible.

Celebi cocked her head to the side. "What's that?" Before Mew's eyes could focus, she shook her head. "Never mind. The point is, you have more than just-"

"I'm such an idiot." Mew cut in.

Celebi reeled back, as Jirachi and Mesprit smiled. "W-what?"

Mew's eyes instantly focused, and he looked right into Celebi's eyes, surprising her. "It was an awesome night. I mean, _he_ might be freed today! I did have fun… how long have I been that stupid?"

Celebi giggled, smiling, because what Mew had said about Giratina was true. "Ever since _he_ left." She pointed to Jirachi. "More than a week ago."

Mew looked down. "Why was it so hard to…"

Celebi put a hand to Mew's mouth. "Because Jirachi is your best friend. You already know that. But do you want to know something that you don't already?"

Mesprit giggled, sensing what was coming. Mew raised an eyebrow, unable to respond to her question because Celebi was still blocking his mouth with her hand.

"There was a reason I helped you ever since Jirachi left. It's because I love you, Mew. If you don't mind, I'd like to be your best friend too." Celebi blushed slightly, removing her hand.

Mew opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, after a few moments, he tackled her in a hug. "I'd be glad to." Celebi paused, waiting for something. Mew already knew what she was waiting to hear, and his smile faded slightly.

So did Mesprit's. She mouthed 'Go along with it,' and Mew nodded, raising an eyebrow to the Being of Emotion before breaking off his hug. "Don't take this personally, Celebi, but I haven't figured out my feelings yet. But we can go along, and maybe you can help me with that." He managed a smile again.

Celebi back away a little bit, her face fallen because he had not returned the same feelings. But she knew that he wouldn't. What he did say was probably the best she would get, but it would not turn out to be like in the movies. She shook her head and smirked. Now who was being irrational here? She looked up at Mew. "Of course."

Mew turned to Mesprit. "So, you being here…"

Mesprit held up her hands. "Yeah, yeah. I admit it, I was here to help everyone figure out their feelings. It involved Celebi's confession, but then again, you should've known that too." Mew raised his eyebrow. "Last night? When you were both in her room? Remember that?"

Mew's eyes widened as he hit himself. Celebi shook her head, smiling. Mesprit sighed. "Boys…"

Jirachi cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, then smiled. "It looks like your mission is done here, Mesprit. Mew, just remember. I am not everything in your life. Enjoy everything else when you can. I look forward to seeing you next millennia."

Mew looked back up at Jirachi, this time without tears. His smile finally showed confidence as closure was at last acceptable. He tackled Jirachi in a hug. "I'll miss you, buddy."

Jirachi returned the hug before breaking off. Celebi broke in. "This dream will be ending soon."

Mew nodded. "Jirachi! I'll be waiting for you when you wake up! Don't forget it!"

Jirachi smiled, backing up as the purple clouds rolled in again. "Goodbye, everyone. I will be back."

As the clouds engulfed him, Mesprit turned to the other two. "Now, Arceus will need to grant everyone else's wishes when we get back, remember? It should be sunrise, if we've been asleep all this time."

Celebi nodded. "And that includes Giratina…"

Mew smiled. "Best for last… looks like we have some business to take care of. Ready?"

Mesprit giggled. "Lucid dreams are the best. Let's go!" The three joined hands as the world shattered.

* * *

There! This chapter was quite the work. I have maybe one or two chapters left, and those will be tying up the loose ends I have left. I hope you all enjoyed this one! But remember, it's not over until it's over! I learned that in an online WiFi battle when my opponent's Jirachi got 5 flinches in a row to finish off my team. OP hax right there. Anyway, REVIEW! You may get some surprises in the upcoming chapter(s), so stay tuned. I'll see you all next time!


	11. Second Chances

Hello again! Classes are laying it on hard, so I didn't have any time to write this week at all. Granted, I did solidify some ideas over that time.

DeviousWriter, first of all, Jirachi is a male. He and Mew are guy friends. However, this is the Dream World, and Mew is really the only one dreaming, as it's his dream. The others just have their consciousness present in his dream. This would mean that Jirachi is conscious, and will remember it.

Funnyach, I hate clichés. If they had both confessed that they loved each other, that would be _very_ cliché. Unfortunately, I see it all the time in fanfiction (sigh), but life doesn't truly work out that way, and I prefer to reflect that aspect more instead of just writing to the sappiness. And besides, Mew didn't not return the feelings; he was just confused about them at the time. It means he could still have feelings for her, he just doesn't know yet. But that'll change. (Hint hint.)

Thanks for the compliment TheHoneyBadgerXD!

Anyway, here's Chapter 11. Not sure how many more I'll need.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Second Chances**

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

The wail could be heard throughout the Hall of Origin. Two figures broke out of a room into the main area, one chasing down the other. The one being chased was tackled by the other.

"Don't do this, Darkrai! Please!"

Darkrai sighed, pushing the other legendary off of himself. "Cresselia... this is precisely why I choose this every year."

"Are you seriously resorting to Arceus again just to shut me out?" Cresselia stared at Darkrai, her eyes conveying her hurt feelings.

"It's called personal space… I could use some of it every now and then…" Darkrai broke the eye contact, obviously not comfortable with it.

Cresselia sniffed indignantly. "And you think you don't have enough time to yourself?"

Still facing away, Darkrai shook his head. "It's not just that…" Cresselia shrunk down. "You wouldn't understand…" Darkrai then disappeared through the floor.

Cresselia sighed. 'Why does he hate me?' she thought, as she floated away. 'I want to find out… but I also don't…' she thought.

Mesprit looked after Cresselia as she left. 'Hmm… that's one problem.' But she was still waiting for Celebi. Even though she desperately wanted to find out what was going on between the two lunar legendaries, Mesprit did not want to abandon Celebi. She scanned the room, spotting Uxie nearby. Floating over to him, she called out. "Hey, Uxie! Got some time?"

Her counterpart looked up at her, eyes still closed as always. "Yes, I suppose so… does this have to do something with what we all just witnessed?" For there had been at least five other legendaries somewhere in the main room, doing various things when the incident occurred.

It was just after breakfast in the Hall of Origin. Arceus had begun calling in individual legendaries to present their wishes from the night before. Apparently, Darkrai had wished just as he had, for the past few years in a row. One week without Cresselia bothering him. The possible reasons for this reoccurrence were why Mesprit was interested, but she had obligations of her own. "Yep. Can you talk to Cressi and see what her issue is? You probably already know, but I want to hear the words she has to say."

To her surprise, Uxie nodded, smiling. "That's fine. I suppose you want to try to fix their situation?" Mesprit nodded. "It would please me to see that. No matter, I will go. But why aren't you doing it yourself?"

Mesprit shrugged. "I'm busy."

Uxie sighed. "I knew that already. What are you waiting on Celebi for?"

Mesprit smacked her head, as she had forgotten that Uxie already knew most things. Then, her eyes narrowed. "I gotta meet with Celebi, that's just what she said. She also mentioned something about someone else's wish, but..." She grinned. "It could just be about Mew. You never know with her."

Uxie nodded. "I see. Thank you. Now, I suppose I'll be off…"

Mesprit sighed. Would it be best to keep Virizion a secret? The plan Arceus had instructed they carry out, as far as from what Celebi mentioned, would be very risky… she would just have to hope, for both Virizion, Cobalion, and Sceptile's sakes, that it would turn out well.

And just then, the forest guardian entered the Hall.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Cresselia sighed as she laid down in her room. Why did Darkrai always want to stay away from her? It didn't make much sense…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. 'Could it be Darkrai…? Probably not…' she thought. "Come in, it's not locked." Cresselia composed herself.

The door opened, and much to her surprise, Uxie entered. Cresselia tilted her head slightly. "Hello, Uxie. Is something the matter?"

Uxie grimaced. "You probably already know."

Cresselia's face fell. "You saw?"

At this, Uxie grinned. "Of course I did. Everyone in the room probably did as well."

Cresselia sighed. "I just don't know what his problem is. Why does he avoid me like the plague?"

Uxie didn't even hesitate. "Have you considered that it might be your own actions?" Seeing Cresselia fall silent, he continued. "How often do you seek him out?"

She looked down. "Well, I'm just trying to interact with him. We're supposed to be counterparts, but he wants nothing to do with me."

Uxie thought for a moment. "He interacts with you on occasion, no?" Cresselia nodded. "Then it might just be that you're trying too often. Darkrai might think you're bothering him because you're never off of his back."

Cresselia sniffed. "So I should let him go for a while? Is that what you're saying?"

Uxie shook his head. "Not exactly. If you're always around him, to Darkrai it may seem like you're always keeping watch, never letting him do what he wants to out of sight."

Cresselia didn't respond. Uxie smiled sympathetically. "I don't think he's using this time of year to cut you off and be rude about it, I think it's just that he uses the occasion to get some personal space once in a while. If you do that more often, he'd probably tolerate you more when you're not always on his case."

* * *

Mesprit went on full alert when she saw Celebi enter the Hall. Cobalion's plan would soon be going into motion. Arceus had granted the wishes from easiest to hardest, and they were nearing the end. However, she was very relieved to find out from Celebi that she would not have to go with them. Mesprit had then explained to her about what happened between Cresselia and Darkrai, and Celebi supported the idea that Mesprit talk to Darkrai while Uxie was talking to Cresselia.

"Sounds good. I hope you can help them, Mesprit." Celebi then turned to the kitchen area, where she went to make herself some coffee.

Mesprit turned towards the residential wing. This would not be easy. A short while later, Mesprit found herself at the door to Darkrai's room. She knocked twice.

Darkrai, unlike Cresselia, was surfing the Dream World through his personal laptop, and was rather content to not have Cresselia always pestering him. When Darkrai heard the door knock, he stopped all movement. Arceus's command made it so that she couldn't bother him in his room or on his island for a whole week. This meant that it was someone else. But who? He went over to the door and opened it.

Mesprit grinned, registering the surprise on the other's face. "'Sup, Darkrai."

Darkrai raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Mesprit's face became serious. "We need to talk."

Darkrai allowed her to enter, then shut the door behind them. He sat down on his bed, concern on his face. "About?"

Mesprit pulled up Darkrai's desk chair that he used for his laptop, sitting down in it and spinning slightly. "About Cresselia. What else?"

Darkrai's face became that of a poker player. "Of course." His voice carried a slight tone of disdain, but it was obvious that it was intentional. He motioned for her to continue.

Mesprit threw her hands up. "What's your deal with her? Is she a problem?"

Darkrai's expression did not change in the slightest. "Yes. She's constantly on my back over anything and everything."

Mesprit looked Darkrai right in the eyes. "And that's a problem to you." Darkrai nodded. "Why?"

"How would you like it if your every move and activity was being monitored?"

Mesprit shrugged. "I have fans. Yay me."

Darkrai's stare became more focused. "And what if being monitored meant you could no longer do things you usually did?"

Mesprit cocked her head. "She controls you?"

Darkrai looked down and did not respond.

Mesprit's eyebrows raised. "You're a Dark-type. She's a Psychic-type. In the most basic sense of things, shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Darkrai shook his head. "Do you recall what one a Lunar Wing does?"

Mesprit fell silent. Both legendaries sat there in silence for a good five minutes or more. She broke the silence when a thought entered her mind. It was a good way to proceed from here. "What if Cresselia didn't mean to control you?" Darkrai raised an eyebrow. "What if she only wants company?"

Darkrai snorted. "And am I the first one she would go to?"

Mesprit rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to be counterparts."

"And?"

"You always keep pushing her away. She might be trying to find out why."

This time, it was Darkrai's turn to fall silent. Again, they sat there in mutual silence for another length of time. "I should talk to her, shouldn't I," Darkrai stated after a while. Not asked, stated. Even so, he waited.

Mesprit nodded.

"Thanks." Darkrai disappeared through the floor, shadows concealing his exit. Mesprit just sat there, eyeing Darkrai's still-open laptop with a strange look in her eyes. A small smile eventually grew into a wicked grin.

* * *

Okay, I'm actually going to be wrapping up this chapter here. If I continued, then we'd have a really huge chapter, perhaps the biggest of all. Besides, the plot kinda switches focus. The next chapter will be another Part 2 style, similar to the chapter 'Trapped'. I already have the generic idea for the rest of the chapter (or what would have been), and that led to this decision. Therefore, you can expect material involving Virizion and Giratina (not at the same time) coming up. More Mew/Celebi later after that. Besides, it extends the fanfic at least another chapter. So… REVIEWS! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you all next time!


	12. Second Chances: Part 2

I gotta be studying for my upcoming midterms, so I had less time to write, otherwise the tests would be kicking my arse all over the place, seeing as how I have Calculus, AP Chemistry, and the like. Sorry for the delay, again. Fortunately, tomorrow is MLK Day, and I should have plenty of time that day.

Thanks, ML54! Always appreciate it! To the guest, register! It's free and takes very little time. That aside, Mesprit was alone in Darkrai's room, and Darkrai's laptop was still on. That's like the best opportunity ever, as you will find out. The other reviews were answered earlier by one of my own so that everyone could see my response there when I couldn't wait until this chapter was done. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Second Chances: Part 2**

* * *

Uxie floated back into the Hall's main room. Mesprit was nowhere to be found. Was she still talking to Darkrai? No matter. Uxie shrugged it off and went to go grab a cup of coffee, where he was delighted to find that Celebi had already brewed a pot.

On the other hand, Arceus was in her own room, and was literally shaking with nervousness. Today she would not only be defying the Code not once, but twice. Leafing through the ancient text, she had found loopholes that would help her side of the argument for each act. Even so, that didn't fully reassure her, and the acts themselves were still very risky. Hopefully, Dialga and Palkia would be able to keep hold over their dimensions, as the last two thing Arceus needed to do involved both. She sighed. It was time to get started. Getting up, she made her way to the main room to look for Celebi, Mew, and Cobalion.

Cobalion was waiting in his room as expected, and Arceus found Celebi in the kitchen, chatting with Uxie. Celebi looked up to see the two other legendaries. "Oh, hello Arceus. Cobalion."

The two nodded in turn as they were recognized. Arceus spoke. "It's time to go, Celebi…"

Celebi's eyes flashed with realization, but it went unnoticed, as she composed herself immediately. "Excellent. Where's Mew?"

Arceus shrugged. "I was hoping you'd know. You know him best."

Celebi rolled her eyes. "Probably on the Xbox. I'll get him…"

Mew, in fact, _was_ on the Xbox. He was playing Call of Duty with Manaphy, and the two seemed deeply involved in killing their online opponents. Celebi crossed her arms. "Ahem."

The two jolted. Mew missed his tomahawk, which resulted in his target shooting him. Manaphy was changing his class, so it didn't really matter to him. They both turned around, Manaphy with a curious look on his face with Mew having a rather upset look. "You got me killed! What do you want?" Manaphy chuckled, nudging Mew. "We were up 6700 to 5200 anyway…"

Celebi smirked. "Ehh… it's just a game. Anyway Mew, Arceus needs you. It's time."

Mew dropped his controller, while Manaphy raised an eyebrow, turning back to the game just in time to dodge a Semtex tossed his way. Mew stared at Celebi. "So she's serious about this? Isn't that against the rules or something?"

Celebi shrugged. "Arceus said she found a loophole. Anyway, we're going." Mew frowned, then waved to Manaphy as they left. With another peak at the screen, they had just won the match.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

Barry threw his Xbox controller to the ground. "Damn it! Only 3 more kills until the nuke!" Lucas's voice could be heard through the microphone. _"Told you nuke-boosting wasn't going to work on a small map… the other team was too fast." _Barry's eye twitched. "Shut up! Let's try again…"

* * *

_Back at the Hall…_

Arceus stood in front of the three assembled legendaries. They had relocated to a private room deeper in the Hall of Origin. Mew, Celebi, and Cobalion looked back at her. "You all know the plan?" They nodded, although Arceus noticed all three looked slightly nervous. All four of them knew the stakes. "Then let's roll."

Celebi nodded, opening a time rift in the air. As the three of them moved to enter it, Arceus said one last comment. "Remember, interfere as little as possible. We don't want to mess up the time stream more than we have to." Mew smiled, looking back at her. "And good luck," Arceus added. The three then leapt into the rift, one at a time.

Once inside, the three were levitating in what looked like outer space. All around them in a linear fashion was what looked reminiscent to a galaxy, only that it went forward and backward with no other formation. As one studied it, it would seem that the tunnel-like place they were in went on forever, both in its boundaries and in its progression. In a sense, it did. Celebi smiled grimly. "This is the time stream. Let's not wander around longer than we need to."

Moving forward, they eventually found the day of the forest battle. Entering that individual day's slipstream, Celebi led the others around the slipstream's parallel map of the world, locating the exact places each of them needed to be. Cobalion moved over to his place, while Mew and Celebi went to their own places. Celebi looked at both of them. "I have to stay here. If I change my old actions, I don't know what could happen. I had no effect on Sceptile's fight, but you guys can help out. Ready?" Mew and Cobalion nodded, plunging through the plane of existence they were on into the real world, except in a different time and place.

* * *

Lopunny looked back up. She had just finished securing the shelter for several of the forest Pokemon, and was about to go check on the next group when a new presence made her jump about ten feet high with a small shriek. "C-C-Cobalion? What are _you_ doing here, of all places? We're in the middle of a war! This is Virizion's-"

Cobalion shook his head, cutting in before she could continue. "No time to explain. I'm here to help, that's all that matters at the moment." Lopunny nodded, both shock and relief still evident on her face. "I've been briefed on the situation. Can you give me the specifics on the poachers' locations and the shelters?" Lopunny nodded, and started relaying the information.

Mew, on the other hand, appeared in a small clearing. He knew he had to finish his part, and _fast_, because he still had to reach Celebi in time to save her from the Houndoom's Flamethrower. That clash would occur very shortly, but luckily, it was not at the same time as Sceptile's. Dashing through the forest, he located the sounds and flashes of a strong Fire-type Pokemon. It had to be that Blaziken, since Houndoom was on the other side of the forest's river. Drawing closer, he got a visual confirmation on Sceptile, and began his telepathy.

Sceptile was in the middle of a heated battle with a Blaziken, whose owner was dead, having cracked his skull against a tree after Sceptile Slammed him. They had been locked in close-quarters combat for several minutes now, when Sceptile heard a voice in his head. He mentally responded, "Celebi? Kinda busy right now…"

Ducking under a Blaze Kick, Sceptile lunged forward, knocking Blaziken away with another Slam. The voice in his head spoke again. "No, this is Mew. No time to explain details, but we came from the future to intervene. When Blaziken is paralyzed, whatever you do, don't go for the head, and watch out for a last-ditch attack. It'll happen soon. Mew out."

"Wait, what? Oh… okay," Sceptile thought back, still focused on the battle. As Blaziken hit the ground, it flipped back up, attempting to get an edge with Close Combat. Sceptile ducked underground with a quick Dig, bursting out on the other side into the air, clinging onto a tree. Blaziken snarled, firing a Vacuum Wave towards Sceptile, who leapt off the tree and over the Vacuum Wave, putting him directly over Blaziken as he enveloped it in a huge Dragonbreath. Blaziken knelt to the ground, Paralyzed and injured by the attack as Sceptile passed over and landed. "Huh, so he was right…" Sceptile dashed back in, Leaf Blade primed, but he kept a careful look at his downed adversary as he approached. When Sceptile was almost at his target, his eyes widened as he saw the Blaziken's fist flare with a readied Fire Punch. Sceptile smirked, planting his foot in front of the Blaziken and leapt over it, splitting the enemy in two, vertically.

The voice was heard in his head again. "Nice work, Sceptile. Stay there until they find you. You're probably tired at this point. Don't worry about the others; the battle's almost done."

Sceptile nodded to the invisible presence, thinking for a moment. Then, he sent out one more thought. "Why did you come back to intervene?" There was a short period of silence. "That Fire Punch burned through your stomach and killed you." Sceptile was left in shock as Mew flew off towards where Celebi and the Houndoom were.

That Jeep was now roaring over a hill, headed right for Celebi. She heard it long before it arrived, and flew up, dodging the Jeep as it crashed right into the Houndoom, sending it sprawling, blood trickling from its head. The man cried out, getting out of the Jeep and aiming his net gun at Celebi. It was knocked out of his hand by an Unfezant, who did not stop and kept going, aiming to help what appeared to be her mate trapped in a net. Celebi took the opportunity to throw some seeds at the man, who had a look of terror in his eyes. As they hit him, they did not explode like he was expecting, but rather, vines sprouted out from them and entangled the man, slowly draining his energy. She did not notice the Houndoom getting up until she heard the sound of the Flamethrower rushing at her from behind. She braced herself for the inevitable pain that was to come.

Celebi kept waiting for the burning heat to envelop her, but something was off. She wasn't burned. Turning around, she saw the person who she was least expecting to see.

"Mew!"

Mew had dashed into the path of the Flamethrower, deflecting it with a Protect, this time, with a knowing smile on his face. "Looks like I was just in time, Cel."

Virizion crashed into the clearing. He had been close enough to see Celebi apparently being roasted by the Houndoom. Growling, he ran up and beheaded the assailant with a Sacred Sword. The head landed on the ground, a look of shock on its face. Turning to check on Celebi, he noticed that she was okay, and with her was…

"So, it all worked out, huh Mew?"

Virizion had a bewildered expression on his face. "Wait, what?" Mew and Celebi giggled.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

"Thank you all for saving Sceptile." Virizion bowed, a smile still on his face. Terrakion was happy to see his counterpart amiable once more.

Sceptile grinned, bowing as well. "I'm in your debt."

Arceus smiled warmly. "No need. We do what is best. I'm glad to see that it all turned out alright."

Mew frowned. "…this time, yes. What about what's next?" Arceus's face paled.

* * *

_A short while later…_

A large group of legendaries were gathered in the center of the Hall of Origin. Many knew what was bound to happen, and as such, tensions were high.

Arceus shook her head, trying to clear her head, before turning to face the group. "Alright… as many of you are already aware, there is one last wish to be granted this fine day." A small murmur of assent could be heard. "As you _also _know, I grant them in order of increasing difficulty and complexity. This one has been saved for last, and the one before this almost broke the Ancient Code." Before an uproar began, Arceus immediately began speaking again. "Not many of you have noticed that. In fact, it was a covert operation. Celebi took Mew and Cobalion back in time to save Sceptile's life, which in turn, is the reason Virizion stands proud here today alongside his friend." Both Virizion and Sceptile bowed again, as the other legendaries gae them warm smiles.

Dialga, on the other hand, fidgeted nervously. "You mean… that they tampered with the time stream?" She asked, quite offput by the idea of a flux in the time-space continuum.

Arceus shook her head. "Not the way we did it. Even though Celebi and Mew were involved in the event that took place that day, everything went just as it was originally, save for the fact that Mew's telepathic messages helped Sceptile avoid death before Mew originally arrived at the fight." Dialga said nothing. "It all went well, and the Primordials seem to not have taken issue with it."

A few individuals shuddered at the mention of the Primordials. They were the original 28 Unown, who had written the Ancient Code. They were also the first shinies, setting themselves apart from those that had been the downfall of Molly Hale, a memory at which Entei did not want to remember.

Arceus went on. "This last one is more controversial that that, Dialga." The mentioned legendary rose an eyebrow. "We are bringing back your old trio member, Giratina." At this, the entire group of assembled legendaries burst out into heated discussion. After a short while of trying to calm everyone down, Arceus spoke over the crowd. "I have been convinced by Mew, Celebi, and a certain Ninetales here…" Ninetales emerged from behind a pillar close by to Arceus. "… that Giratina is no longer the way he was when I banished him, and that he deserves to have a second chance." Arceus gazed over the group of legendaries. "Today has been a day filled with second chances. I don't see why we can't pardon the biggest of all."

With that said, the group broke out into applause as Arceus and Ninetales turned around, back to the others. Arceus smirked. She still had that special touch when it came to speeches. That smile quickly turned into a grimace as she concentrated, focusing her energy on the portal to the Distortion World. The portal quickly sprung into appearance, the shadowy realm's door being a blemish on the pervading light of he Hall.

However, as the portal reached its full size, it crystallized over, sealing the portal. "Shit." Arceus spat on the ground. "Not last time, but now…?" She growled, Ninetales slowly backing away towards Celebi, who was holding tightly onto Mew. "DAMN IT, UNOWN!" Arceus blasted the portal with a powerful blast of pure power, much more than a Hyper Beam or even a Judgment. It did nothing to mar the surface of the crystal. "I CREATED GIRATINA!" Another blast. could be seen on the surface. Just a hairline fracture, nothing more. "I WAS THE ONE WHO BANISHED HIM THERE!" Another blast. The crack became visible to those with good perception for detail, at least for those who were looking at the seal between the blinding power bursts. "IF I SENT HIM THERE…" Another blast. The crack didn't change. "…THEN I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BRING HIM BACK!" A sphere began swirling near Arceus's head. Her signature attack. "AND RESCINDING MY PUNISHMENTS IS FULLY WITHIN MY CONTROL! NOT YOURS!" Arceus sent the Judgment flying towards the crack. The attack caused the hairline crack to splinter the seal, sending a spiderweb fracture throughout the entire portal.

A voice could then be heard, but it did not sound real, nor even telepathic. Simply… ethereal. Otherworldly. _"Then so be it. We will not be held responsible if things go wrong."_ The crystal vanished, leaving a rather stark darkness beyond it. Moments later, a massive figure appeared through the portal. Mew gasped. It did not look like Giratina. Instead of the serpentine behemoth with 6 tentacle-like wings, and a long tail, there stood this six-legged being with two demonic wings that seemed to spread darkness everywhere. But the coloring was identical. The eyes… it was unmistakable.

Mew stepped forward. "Giratina..?" he asked, hesitatingly.

The beast ignored him, turning instead to the Alpha Pokemon. He grinned. "It's been a while, Arcie."

* * *

So, it's the end of Chapter 12, hmm? This fanfiction turned out very well. I have no regrets at all. There's only one chapter left for me to write. I already have ideas abound, but I will save that for the Author's Note at the end of the next chapter. I wrote this yesterday, but I posted it today, and for those who live in the United States, today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. To some, it means a hell of a lot, but for me, it's just a day off. This week I have midterms… ugh. But hey, a free day off! I'll likely get through a whole bunch of the last chapter today, if not finish it. I hope you enjoyed! As always, review! Thanks, and I'll see you all next time!


	13. Sunrise

I tell myself that I should really get writing, but a lot of the time I really don't feel like applying my brain, especially during midterm week and I just want to relax. So I spent the past few days playing videogames after my tests. _ There's only so much I can take in one day… Calculus, English… sheesh. So, forgive me for procrastinating. I know you all will anyway! ^_^ I've read some other fanfics where the author went on hiatus for a few years. Thank Arceus that they were a few years old and had been finished already. Anyway, that's beside the point. Here's the final chapter. It's been a great ride, guys. I can't wait to start my next one. Or three. Maybe six. Whatever.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Sunrise**

* * *

Cresselia let out a small shriek as her room became pitch black. A bright blue eye appeared, not looking at her. As the darkness faded, Cresselia was both annoyed and hopeful towards the newcomer, who was just looking at the floor.

"Darkrai…? What are you doing here?" Cresselia queried.

He didn't look up. "We need to talk…"

Cresselia tilted her head. "I'm listening."

Darkrai sighed and sat down on the bed next to Cresselia, turning to look her right in the eyes. "I'm sorry for being a jerk to you." Cresselia's eyes shot wide open. "I've been thinking about... you know, just us. How we are." No response. "It had never occurred to me why you were always on my back."

At this, Cresselia spoke up, still slightly surprised by the apology. "You know?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

Darkrai shook his head. "Nah. That's the problem. I've been making assumptions, and it caused…" he gestured with his hand at them both. "…the tension."

Cresselia's eyes narrowed. "Assumptions like…?"

Darkrai looked down and sighed. "I just felt like you were trying to control everything I do." It felt good to get that out.

Cresselia's eyes softened. "That's not true… well, at least not completely true." She rolled her eyes, as Darkrai shrugged. "Yes, I'd like to prevent anything bad from happening… but isn't that always a worry?"

Darkrai looked back up. "No." Deadpan.

As Cresselia thought about it, her thoughts drifted off concerning where the other legendaries might agree… but… yeah, no. Pfft. Fail. "Uhh… yeah, whatever. Anyway, Darkrai, we're supposed to be counterparts. Why would I not pay attention to you?"

He really had to think on this one. Cresselia was a good debater. He'd go for the pity-party route. "Because whenever I'm around, things always seem to go wrong… everyone might just be better off without me. Honestly, who wants nightmares?" It _was_ true, though.

Cresselia's eyes softened. "Aww, that's not true! I like having you around." She hugged him, something Darkrai was not particularly comfortable with, but he put up with it.

"Thanks, Cress." He put one arm around her. "So, can we start over again? I'll be better this time."

Cresselia raised an eyebrow. "Are you being completely serious?" He nodded. "Just don't change too much, aside from being friendlier. I like the way you are."

Darkrai hid his slight blush quite well. "I'm voiding the wish I made yesterday."

Cresselia giggled. "Aww." But then she abruptly stopped. "But then you wouldn't have a wish this year."

Darkrai shrugged. "It's not much different. I don't really need much."

Cresselia smiled. "That's an excellent quality to have."

Darkrai was about to say something when a rumbling could be felt and heard not far away at all. He looked around frantically, suddenly remembering what was still happening this early in the morning. "Shit, Cress. We gotta get out there, _now._" He raced to the door and opened it, before turning back. He smiled. "Thanks a lot. I'll talk to you later." Cresselia nodded before following him out to see what the commotion was.

* * *

"It's been who knows how long, and the first thing you mention is that _awful _nickname?" Arceus was getting less happy about bringing back Giratina by the second.

The one in question shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

"YES."

Latias poked her head out of the assembled crowd of legendaries. "Does that mean that Ray's nickname is bad too?" Rayquaza did not look amused at the mention of his own nickname, but neither was he peeved by it.

Arceus looked at Latias, glad to have a distraction. "It's fine, Latias."

"But you just said-"

"Oh well." Arceus sighed.

Giratina finally checked himself over. "So, what's with my body? It's different."

Mew did a flip in midair. "Yeah, what's up with that? When we were in the Distortion World, he was all serpent-like. Now he's kinda…" Mew scratched his head, at a loss of what to call Giratina's new form.

Darkrai spoke up, the first time he had made his presence known since he and Cresselia entered stealthily. "Like a basilisk, I guess." Giratina shrugged as well, going along with it.

Arceus didn't move. "Your original form adapted to exist solely in the Distortion World. If it can exist there, it cannot exist here. Your body has altered to adjust to this dimension."

Giratina sighed. "I liked my old body. There was nothing wrong with it," he whined.

Arceus groaned. "I was _getting to that_. Can't you be patient?" Giratina was silent. "Now…" Arceus summoned a golden orb. "This orb holds qualities similar to the Distortion World. While you keep it on you, your body will remain in its Origin form. Do you want it?"

Giratina grinned. "Heck yeah! I always knew you'd come through for me, Arcie." She rolled her eyes at the nickname. Giratina noticed. "Oh… sorry, forgot," he said sheepishly.

Arceus nodded. "Prepare yourself. You'll be floating." The orb moved forward and dissolved into a golden aura as Giratina's body absorbed it, also glowing. His body, now composed entirely of aura, shifted into what Mew, Celebi, Mewtwo, and Ninetales recognized as Giratina's original form. When the light faded, Giratina was back to his old serpentine self. He grinned again.

Arceus did not. "Now, as your punishment has been rescinded, you are allowed back on the legendary council. If you make another drastic slip-up, then your second chance will be gone."

Giratina nodded, his face serious. "I understand." He bowed. "Thank you."

At last, Arceus smiled. "Excellent." She turned to everyone. "Welcome back, Giratina."

The crowd burst into cheers. Arceus spoke over the din, amplifying her words with a Hyper Voice. "Everyone, the gifts are complete. You have no duties for today; enjoy your time off. That is all." Arceus retreated back into the Hall as everyone else began talking. Celebi happened to watch Ninetales slink away, and decided to follow him. Mew chose to follow Celebi. However, he was cut off as Azelf entered the door from the other side. Was she inside the whole time? Many of the legendaries noticed Azelf appear, and the noise quieted down.

Azelf noticed the drop in volume. She yawned. "Did I miss something?"

Moltres nodded. "Yes, Arceus brought back Giratina from his punishment." She smiled. "Isn't that great?"

Azelf frowned. "It's great to have you back, Giratina. But I was asleep the whole time, and missed it?"

Darkrai frowned. "Asleep?" Cresselia looked over at Azelf and raised an eyebrow, ceasing her conversation with Suicune.

Azelf nodded. "Yeah… I had some really weird dreams, too." She rubbed her eyes, obviously still tired. Darkrai's eyes narrowed as he hastily scanned the legendaries present. A certain Being of Emotion was absent. "_I'll be back. I have some business to attend to," _Darkrai said through gritted teeth before dashing off into the Hall. Mew followed him, finally getting his chance to seek out Celebi and Ninetales. Slowly, the other legendaries decided to head back inside as well.

* * *

_A short while later…_

Celebi found Ninetales sitting outside on the Eastern entrance to the hall. He was sitting on the steps, gazing out into the sky.

"Hey there."

Ninetales turned his head, smiling upon seeing who it was. "Ah, Celebi. Hello. What brings you here, of all places?"

Celebi gave a small smile. "Just wanted to see how you were doing." Nietales didn't respond immediately, so she continued. "Must be quite a lot to take in, being back in the world and all."

Ninetales nodded, still slightly in his reverie. "Yes…" he said wistfully. "Although I don't suppose I will ever see _her_ again." He lowered his head. It had been a _very_ long time since he had been trapped in the Mirror of Souls back in the Distortion World. His human friend had likely died of old age already.

Celebi put a hand on the fox's back. "It's alright. You made a brave sacrifice, saving her life the way you did."

Ninetales nodded again, sighing. "I understand, though I still wish I could talk to her, one last time. To let her know that I'm alright. To let her know everything we've accomplished. How different the world is today."

Celebi tilted her head. "About that… how different exactly was it? What year was it when you got trapped in the Distortion World?"

Ninetales looked up at Celebi, interested. "It was the year 1264." Celebi's eyes widened in shock. Noticing this, Ninetales started to worry. "Why are you surprised?" He paused, quickly retracing his memory. Nobody had told him the year. "What… year… is today…?" There was a lot of hesitation in his voice.

Celebi only shook her head solemnly. "2013." Ninetales was floored. He sat in silence for a while, Celebi stroking his fur gently.

The fox eventually composed himself. "I should have seen that coming." Ninetales paused, trying to form his thoughts into words. "Time is a lost sense in the Distortion World. What could seem like days may feel like an hour. Other times it can be the opposite. It should not have been a surprise, but still…"

Celebi nodded. "Good thing we didn't take you into civilization yet. Plus, your kind are very rare."

Ninetales looked incredulously at Celebi. "We are?" There was a tinge of fear in his voice.

Celebi blushed profusely, realizing her mistake in wording. "No, no, not at all… I was referring to your fur color." She gestured towards it. Ninetales had a silver coat, with a blue hue at the tips of his tails. "Almost all Ninetales have gold and orange fur. You're a shiny." Ninetales tilted his head, remaining silent. Celebi chuckled. "All species have some individuals with odd coloring. They're very rare, and we call them shinies. It's generally because they… well, they're literally shiny. Like you." Ninetales' fur was indeed very slightly sparkling.

Ninetales grinned. "Great. Now I have bragging rights." Celebi giggled.

"That, you do, Ninetales."

Both the one in question as well as Celebi whirled around. Giratina floated there, with Mew on his head. Giratina smiled. "Very few have made it out of the Distortion World. You're very unique, just as much as any of the legendaries."

Mew grinned. "Hey, Cel!"

Celebi waved in return as Mew hopped off of Giratina's head and landed on the stairs next to them. Giratina moved beside the three of them. "It's great to be back… you don't know how hard and… resigning it's been to live in that place for millennia. I suppose I have you and your apparent misfortune to thank."

"And as long as we're giving thanks, I suppose I should be included."

The entrance door was open once again. Virizion stepped outside and onto the steps, laying down along the row of Pokemon. But as he opened his mouth to say something else, a piercing shriek could be heard from inside the Hall. Everyone looked around, confused.

* * *

"DARKRAI, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I'M SORRY!"

Mesprit cowered in fear as Darkrai glared right into her eyes.

"**You don't ever mess with my laptop. ****_EVER_****.**"

Mesprit whimpered. "I said I'm sorry?" she said with pleading eyes. It wasn't _her_ fault for leaving the laptop open. She didn't know that it could manipulate dreams. When she found out, she had gotten a little curious since Azelf was still asleep, but then...

Darkrai's intense death stare did not waver. "**That won't cut it anymore, Mesprit.**"

Mesprit let out a small squeak of fear.

* * *

Back outside, everyone had just shrugged off the scream as nothing big. Virizion looked back at the group, remembering what he was going to say. "Anyway, Mew, remember when you helped out that day, during the battle with the poachers? If you had not been there, things would have gone much worse. Who knows what would have happened if Celebi had fallen." Virizion directed his gaze to Celebi. "And you. After an eternity of grieving, you had given Sceptile a second chance, and with that, you helped me as well. It was so unbearable that day…"

Mew and Celebi both blushed. Virizion grinned deviously. "You two are true heroes. It's nice to see such a cute couple like that."

Their blushes turned to outright embarrassment. Virizion, Giratina, and Ninetales could not help laughing. It was short-lived, as they returned to their reflection on the past days.

Ninetales sighed, then perked up as a certain sight caught his eye once more: what he had been watching when Celebi first arrived. "In all seriousness, you have no idea how grateful I – we – are to be where we are now. Look in the sky."

Mew, Celebi, and Virizion tilted their heads. Giratina gasped. "It's… so beautiful." Despite the feminine vocabulary, it was the only word to describe Giratina's feelings at the moment. "I have not seen this… in _so_ long. You have no idea how much this means to me…"

All five Pokemon stared out in the sky, smiling as the feeling of happiness washed over them all.

The sunrise was particularly beautiful this morning.

* * *

**Author's Note**

As for this story, I have nothing left to say. I believe I left it all out in the chapter. Reviews are welcome, both for this chapter and the story as a whole. For my introduction to , I feel like I've done quite well.

Now, I'm going to use this last note to tell you guys about my upcoming stories. Obviously, this one is done. What next? *Grins*

This story is my first one. That said, it's quite special to me. I know I've left open some vague subject matter. Therefore, I may be writing lengthy oneshots covering sides of the story from other characters, ones that we did not see as much, as this one centered around Mew and Celebi. The other ones will be written soon, and they'll fill out the story's world separately without interrupting this one. Plus, they will likely be happening at the same time as a separate event in this story. **I intend on writing a tale for Ninetales, and possibly Latias.** I believe Virizion and Cresselia were sufficiently covered, and most of each oneshot would likely include material from this story, and I don't want to be repetitive.

**I have also had in mind for a long, epic adventure fanfic.** That one could draw itself out for a long time, as it can easily add subplots to it. The focus of the fanfic will be about a Lucario and a Zoroark, allied in the direst of circumstances. They head off on a long quest in order to expel the forces of evil that have long since dominated the land. Everyone else is too intimidated to try. As the two with the most resolve meet up in an unexpected twist, they set off, riding on the hopes of all of the oppressed, making several allies along the way. Notable characters include Lucario, Zoroark, Ninetales, Absol, Luxray, Mienshao, Gallade, Weavile, Flygon, Blaziken, Froslass, and the evil ruler that I will not name.

So, that's all I have to say here. Next time you'll be hearing from me (aside from PM, if you really like me. ;D) will be in another fanfiction, be it oneshot or multichapter. I hope you enjoyed! **Reviews, please!**

So, until next time, see you all later!


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